Kind face contorted by torture of severe whipping;
body a mass of torn bleeding tissue.
Cruelty stretched beyond limits of endurance;
scourging halted on the brink of death.
Hands unshackled from post,
He collapsed on a stone pavement.
'Crucify Him! Crucify Him! ' Jarred the frenzied pack.
Paroxysms of rage that pulled down the Fortress Of Justice.
Roughly, they brought Him back to consciousness.
Wrenching pain sent features convulsing in humiliation,
as the smitten Crown Of Thorns pierced His scalp.
The mocking crowd ridiculed: 'Hail, King Of The Jews! '
Surfeited with demeaning mimicry in midday heat,
the Cross Of Shame they hoisted on sagged shoulders.
In loneliness of anguish, the staggering courage
acquiesced to the summon by the looming Fate.
In their rain of spit and spittle, He tottered away.
A trail of His blood traced the road to Golgotha.
Nailed to the Cross on Mount Calvary, loin cloth
He wore flanked by a duo on death row.
Parched with thirst, a sour blend was offered.
Looking down at by then jubilant crowd, He prayed:
'Father, forgive them they don't know what they're doing.'
'He is calling for Elijah, ' they joked, wickedly amused.
Human barbarity too much to bear, with last gasp
of breath, He wailed: 'Eloi! Eloi! Leman Sabachthan? '
A shriek of the doomed that rent the skies.
'It is finished! ' Then gently came the words:
'Father, into Thy hands I place my spirit.'
Head bowed, in utter agony He succumbed to injuries.
His Prosecution: A Blatant Perversion Of Legal Rules,
in a hasty nocturnal trial that snubbed burden-of-proof,
which had no room for witnesses for the accused.
A criminal action preceded by the unlawful arrest
He endured with savage beating and manhandling,
even though no resistance was offered nor expected.
Unfairly found guilty of His assertion of the Messiahship
under the Mosaic Law; thereafter, He's arraigned before
a Roman blood-court on a claim to kingship of the Jews.
Hellbent on having Him put to death, the initial charge
of Blasphemy was amended to Sedition against Rome.
Thus, the religious was translated into a political charge.
Declared righteous by the one that betrayed Him;
what's more, He's adjudged innocent by the Prefect —
a vacillating judge unruly eclipsed by the incited mob,
at whose behest capital punishment was handed down.
A travesty that shifted a villain's infamy to the Nazarene,
while freedom of the damned became lot of the freed.
On no occasion had he robbed nor cheated any one.
An upright gent he was with a lifetime of clean record,
who became target for lynching — in a plot hatched
by Jewish leaders perturbed about His gospel
and rising popularity through mesmerizing miracles.
His Brutal Execution: A Colossal Miscarriage Of Justice.
As I come to this poem a second time, I feel this is the most stirring write I have ever read on the crucifixion of Christ. It has brought goose bumps on me. Each line and each word is fraught with pain and I feel Jesus is slumping down to earth not thrice but every second under the fierce weight of the agony he carries! I sense a sudden spurt of pain and guilt within. Are we any better than those men who meted out the ‘colossal miscarriage of Justice’ on Jesus Christ? ? The zealots of power in his time and the mob equally failed to recognize the goodness in him! All through History we observe that those who raise their voice against the dark forces are always persecuted and the mass always stands with the powerful. It is a naked fact. With this single write, your stature as a great poet is affirmed! Now being a bit busy, I don’t have time to read more of your poems, but shall surely do in the days to come! Chinedu.... you are indeed a gifted writer!
Hi Prof, thanks a million times for your awesome comment. Always remain blessed.
"A shriek of the doomed that rent the skies" we'd do well to look up!
A well crafted masterpiece from the inimitable poet of this generation. You have succeeded to resurrect the vicarious travesty of Golgotha to resonate with the echoes of yesterday
Please excuse the incomplete comment accidentally submitted. This masterwork poem depicts the crucifixion of Jesus vividly. It also gives insights into the politics, jealousies and injustices present at the time. Beautifully written!
This masterwork poem describes the crucifixion of Jesus vividly, as well as offering insights into tthe
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Dear Brother in Christ, I am privileged o read the masterpiece of your work today. You have very vividly explained and made it crystal clear to the readers the amount of pain and suffering underwent by LORD JESUS CHRIST to redeem the mankind of their sins. Had not the Father in Heaven sent HIS only SON on to earth as a Sacrifice for our sins, we would not have received salvation thereby the ETERNAL LIFE. The then rulers and some others have thought that it is through their power that they could execute such punishment on CHRIST. BUT in fact, John 3: 16 from Bible says For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. I concur with Mr. Robert Wolfe, that we are no less than them who enjoyed the persecution of CHRIST for whenever we go astray and do evil things then we are equally persecuting CHRIST through our deeds. Thank you for sharing brother.
Hi 🙋 Queeny, thanks for your beautiful comment. Always remain blessed.
Hi 🙋 Queeny, thanks for your beautiful comment. Always remain blessed.