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.
