A5- PART U

A gospel in blank verse with rhymed parables
the Mary from Magdala by the Lake.
And John was there who was to write this down.
To him the Lord entrusted the sole care
of his beloved mother in her grief
and in her loneliness. ‘Here is your son,’
he said to her: to John he said, ‘Here is
your mother, John.’ And willingly from then
he took her home with him and treated her
with honour, with concern and with respect.
Above each cross there was a titulus:
a note to justify the victim’s fate.
Above the cross of Jesus could be read
a scroll in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek.
‘Jesus the Nazarene, the King of Jews.’
It was a studied insult, Pilate’s work.
The Jews raised angry voices to protest.
‘You should have written “This man falsely claimed
that he was King of Jews” for otherwise
it might be understood he represents
as criminal, the best of all our race.’
‘Well, take it as you wish. It’s written now.’
was Pilate’s answer. He had scored a point.
The place was overlooked by passers-by.
Derisive catcalls came from those who passed…
…things like, ‘If you’re the Son of God, come down.
If you’d rebuild the Temple in three days
what could be easier?’ ‘ You called yourself
the Son of God. Well, all we want is proof!’
One of the two men crucified with him
joined in the chorus of complaint and cried,
‘If you’re the Christ then save yourself and us.’
But his companion would have none of this.
‘We are condemned for wrongs that we have done.
This man is guiltless. Lord remember me
the moment that you find you are a king.’
‘Today, you’ll be with me in Paradise,’
was Jesus’s reply. About this time
the light began to fail – the cause perhaps
a dark and sand-filled desert wind known now
as ‘Khamsin’ which could change the day to night.
It caused the earth to shake and buildings swayed.
A major earthquake seemed to be on hand.
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