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Can I know nothing then but this one man,
Him crucified? Why I have other friends -
No I mean had. I lost my natural friends
When I cast in my lot with him they thought
A devil's preacher sent to cozen us
With holy maxims, lost them for his sake,
Father and brother, yes my mother too,
Teachers and comrades and familiar guests,
They turned and loathed me. And my new friends now,
I am a leper to them, one cast out
Past mercy from them. Would there one of them
Look upon me if I should crawl to him,
Grovel beneath his feet crying "Oh man,
Touch me that I may feel I am a man.
Touch with thine hand?" Would Peter, or would James,
Or even sweet-tongued John? Would I forgive
If one of them had done the accursed deed?
No there's not one in all the world to speak
A praying word for me, not even to say
"Let him but die and never wake from death
Let him not know the name or face of God
Nor Jesus whom he slew; let him but die
As the beast dies, and rot as the dead tree,
And be no more." Himself was merciful,
But no mere men would be thus merciful:
They'd say "No, let him live on with the sense
Of darkness round him and of some one near -
As if a murderer dragged the corpse with him
And shivered sickly lest it should arise
And shrivel him with dreadful ghostly looks,
Alive with awful life. Yes, let him breathe
With the sharp gasps of some mad hunted thing
When none pursue. Let him cry out aloud
With anguish, and not know how to repent.
Let him go agonized with doubt, and know
Doubt and belief make no more now for him
Than for dumb dogs. Only let him not die
And fall asleep." Yes none will say "His pain
Is more than he can bear."
Where Jesus was
None could be friendless, none despair: and now -
My name is blotted from among the names
Of the living, there is no man says to me
"Alas my brother!" There is no God for me
Who heareth prayer. I only in the world
Have not a God to cry to. Who is God
But He who sent us Christ? And who is Christ
But Jesus the Nazarene, Jesus who had
The Godhead in him? Die, thou lost one, die!
I know him now and tremble, know Him now
Whom I believed in vaguely, whom I sold!
How should I pray? "Jehovah whose own Son,
A very part of thee, I did to death,
Be very gracious to me for His sake?"
Next |
A Woman Sold
Bartimaeus
Judas
Pilate
The Walk To Emmaus
A Bride
A March Night
A Messenger
A Mother's Cry
A Wedding
Afterwards
Dead Amy
Deserted
Dreaming
Glad Waves
Going
How The Brook Sings
If
In The Storm
In The Sunshine
Looking Downstairs
Mary Lost
Never Again
Night Whispers
On The Lake
On The Shore
Our Lily
Passing Away
Perjured
Safe
Shadow
Sunlight
The Blush Rose
The Gift
The Heiress' Wooer
The Hidden Wound
The Lake
The Land Of Happy Dreams
The Old Year Out
The Red Star On The Hill
The River
The Setting Star
The Shadow Of A Cloud
To And Fro
To One Of Many
Too faithful
Two Maidens |
