Classic Poem

It seemed a whole eternity
As prone beneath the cross she lay,
What time a grim centurion came
And bade her go her way.

She trembled down with halting steps,
Like to some hurt thing of the night.
High o'er the hill a single star
Burned like a beacon light.

" It is the star of love " , she said,
And even judas — even he! —
May hope for pardon now that Christ
Hath died for him, and me —

" For him, and me, and all the world,
He gave his life this day of days;
And all mankind shall worship him,
And all earth sing his praise! "

Beyond the vale Jehoshophat
A Jackal's bark the echoes woke,
And from the hollows of the ghor
She heard a raven croak.

The city's gates were shut and barred
The city's streets were hushed and still —
The whole world seemed to be as dead
As the Dead Christ on the hill.

She wandered here, she wandered there,
She stumbled blindly in the dark,
Until by kedron's brook she found
A dead man, staring stark.

It seemed as though the parent tree
Had cast away the shameful limb
Wherefrom the traitor's body hanged
In very scorn of him.

Gently she loosed the awful rope,
Softly she closed the frightened eyes,
And soothed dead judas as one soothes
A sick Child when it cries.

Then piteously she made her moan:
" God knows, god knows he loved me well,
Else never would he thus have sunk
His soul down deep in hell! "

She knelt and prayed. " Dear Lord, " she sobbed,
" Thou knowest well that such as we
Are but as burnt grass of the plain,
As spindrift on the sea.

" Blinder than blind bartimeus
He wandered naked in the night;
Whichever way he turned he found
No single ray of light.

" Though with a poisoned spear he sought
Upward to reach and pierce thy heart,
O, let this be the hour, dear God,
To prove how great thou art!

" For said not Christ that one who loved "
(She soothed the corpse with tender touch)
" As much as poor, lost judas loved
Should be forgiven much?

" Lord, in thy mercy, grant him grace!
His deed was done through love, alone;
And for his sin unto thy son
Let thy son's love atone! "

As on the traitor's breast she sank
She felt the cold blood in him stir —
And, lo! the gaunt eyes of the dead
Opened, and smiled at her.

Opened and smiled, and closed again —
While o'er his face the perfect peace
That passeth understanding came,
In symbol of release.

And by these tokens, Mary knew
How justified had been her faith
In ecstacy, on judas' neck
She kissed the scar of death.