WITHIN THIS STONE

WITHIN THIS STONE

Soliloquy of Simon Peter

Up to the lended tomb of our laid Lord 

From whom received of Ar'mathea's heir

To know for mine own soul of what I've heard

I go to peer within this Stone now bare.

Hail John, ye man divine and full of grace

Who raceth quick a furlong's distance mete

And paused, to wait for whom your zeal outpaced

That I might enter first the barren suite.

John:

Lo, Simon JUST as Mary said would be

The hefty stone Sanhedrin's pact once SEALED

Is cracked and rolled withOUT some means or key.

Are THESE Hosea's fettered words fulfilled?

Peter:

O, John Hosea's wond'ring words behave

As water trickling down through paths unknown

He skried destruction O, to Death and Grave

This queried truth I seek within this stone

---

I dare to doff and shed my sandals loose

For holy ground upon hewn stone I tread

Yet brings to mind when last He latched these shoes

Aft washed my feet, though "Nay" to him I pled.

And there I see upon its stone-carved bed

His raiments white as alabaster chalk

A spice soaked shroud for body, veil for head

Fold'd neatly now in THIS abandoned rock.

A burial cloth of woven linen fine

That held the body bruised and broken through

Of He, the King of Kings and Rabbi mine

Betrayed, then beat by Rome whom I beshrew!

But nay, this devil'sh heart that beats within

It turns and tears with pains of hatred's groan

Revealing plain my hypocritic sin

For just as they this heart unseen is Stone

Had I not cried three times to those who asked

And plain as stars in heaven's sky denied

My Lord; and with those words my fate was cast?

This Stone within, my emptiness's pride.

O Wretchedness your weight around my nape,

It suffocates within this chest my breath.

What peace affords and grants secure escape

To leave this vacant Stone, my tomb of death?

Lord Rabbi, hear my cries and know thy son,

Thy promised Holy Spirit send to burn

Away this rot and all decay undone.

Might I again unto thy Grace return?

Ye called me! "Thou art Peter, Cephas, rock."

Am I this man to take this mantle up;

And wend my brethren whither they should walk?

Thou trusteth still this Stone to stay thy cup?

Return O Master, blessed Adonai!

Return from whence they took you cruel. Draw near.

Within this Stone, return to John and I!---

---Alas---, thy words to us made fast I fear

You'd go unto Thy Father up on high.

For you who slept sojourns no longer here.

The Temple gone: its bricks but all torn down

Yet here within this sepulchre of Stone

My Lord took up His body, robes and crown

And crushed Death's head while rising to His Throne

Come John, our time within this Stone hath fled

No more for eye to doubt, nor ear to fear

The testimony true to this be spread

That He who slept sojourns no longer here.

Yea John ---

---He who slept sojourns no longer here

This was a soliloquy I wrote for an Easter ward activity called Psalms to Our Savior. I performed it with my son, Canon.