I Found Love

I found love
Hanging on a tree
Strung up
For all humanity

I found love
A human whipping post
Of
Flayed flesh
Ripped from bone
And as muscles
Hung in shreds
The word became flesh

“You forgave the iniquity of your people
You covered all their sin.”

Nails,
Drove, hard, relentless pain,
Indiscriminate of bone or flesh
This rag doll
Human form was stretched
Until ligament and tendon tore
But through the searing pain
Of stretched, smashed, shattered sinews
Intercession came

“Father forgive them …”

As I stood
I smelt, the stench
Of my iniquity
Fouler
Than that of excrement
From cruel death’s
Last release
Yet in the final hour
Love whispered

“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud
Your sins like the morning mist.”

A spear, stabbed
Twisted turned
And as entrails spewed
From a ruptured side
The authority, to forgive men their sins
Flowed, upon the Earth
In an unending crimson tide
So came
Death’s slow time march
Of agony
In death’s last breath
Love sighed

“Forgive, as you have been forgiven!”

At this sight
What remaining right
Have I?
Not to set my prisoners free
Manacled by unyielding principles
Chained
By past’s resentments and
Heart’s bitter, hurts.
Held captive
In the dungeon deep
Of my unforgiving heart
What right have I?
Not to set my prisoners free

I forgive
I forgive
Those who sought to hurt
Those, near and dear to me
I forgive
Those who wrapped me in suspicion’s cloak
I forgive
Those who sent their words
With poisoned arrow, sting
I forgive
Those who through the long years
Have sought to dominate, manipulate, control
Those who have belonged to me

I forgive
I kneel
On this blood soaked ground
My hands clutching
Clotted grass and dirt
My cheeks grazed by splintered wood
My senses filled
Will the stench of butchered flesh
My tears mingled
With blood’s unending drip
I forgive
I forgive
I set my captives free.

I kneel on this blood soaked,
Stenching ground.
I watch as thorns,’
Cruel claws,
Rip and tear at tender flesh.
Thus, is a Sovereign crowned.
And
Each sweated blood drop cries

“I am he, who blots out your transgressions
And remembers your sins no more.”

But
On this blood soaked battle ground
Heart’s bitter hurt, still in anger fights
Yet
To this battle ground
Love’s warrior,
Gladly came.
So I must surrender
My stubborn will.
I will,
I must,
Forgive.

Because,
I found love.
Love, that keeps no record of wrongs,
Hanging on a tree.
Strung up,
Not just for all humanity,
But for you
And
Me