Poem For Holy Friday

The End of the Beginning

A Poem on the Death of God

The bronze serpent, poisoning humanity with the venom of sin,
Long has provided the spiritual Amalekites the means of victory.
The people of God, in the desert of the real, fear death’s win,
Making their excursion in life vain, one aimless journey.

Turned entirely into carrion for sinister birds of prey,
Thrust into the pit of hell, where no light shines,
They have become forsaken, abandoned, castaway,
As they now find themselves in the sidelines.

Bludgeoned by the principles of non-being,
The grim face of death swallows them whole.
From his cold, stony grip, there is no fleeing;
As he comes to collect his scrumptious toll.

But wait, here comes the champion:
Light from light, the author of existence.
Why does he let himself be taken in?
Why does he offer no resistance?

The Amalekites come,
His arms lifted high.
He is made dumb,
And left to die.

Last Breath.
Exhale.
Death.
Hell.

.
.
.

Texts Which Inspired This Poem:

Then came Amalek and fought with Israel at Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.”  So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed  (Ex. 17:8-11 RSV).

And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live (Num. 21:8-9 RSV).

As they went out, they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; this man they compelled to carry his cross.  And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull),  they offered him wine to drink, mingled with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.  And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots;  then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus the King of the Jews.”  Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left (Mat. 27:32-38 RSV).

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