Poetry Page - The Passion of Christ in Poetry

"And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many," (Matthew 27: 51-53).

In "Soliloquy," we hear the murmurings of an elderly woman during the time when our Lord is being crucified. Learn what she found out in this poem featuring Artimeus and his friend, Stephen-the old woman’s brother.

Soliloquy

By Dorothy E. Robbins Kreiss

Knock, knock!

Knock.

Artimeus, see who's knocking!

Who is knocking at the door.

Who can be out there a calling .

When the whole world seems a falling--

And it's dark-so dark at noon.

Artimeus, Artimeus,

What is taking you so long?

Ugly, slow old Artimeus--

Loves to drowse in summer's sun;

Dreaming, dreaming, always dreaming!

Why, he'd have us all believing

Resurrection's soon begun.

Artimeus, Artimeus,

What is taking you so long?

Have you gone to see your Hanna

And her infant baby, John?

You are getting old and older

And your dreams are getting bolder--

Yes, old man, it won't be long.

Artimeus, Artimeus,

What is taking you so long?

He's so like my brother, Stephen

(He who was my mother's joy),

Now he's gone and all his laughter,

And his dreams have followed after--

Foolish dreams that fools employ.

Artimeus, Artimeus,

Must you, must you be so long?

Sh! I hear faint footsteps falling,

Echoing within the hall.

Hush, I hear their voices humming;

Strange, my own heartstrings are strumming:

Who is coming here to call?

Artimeus, Artimeus,

What has taken you so long?

Stephen, Stephen,

Not you knocking!

Not you knocking at the door.

Are my eyes my mind deceiving?

Nay, my heart the truth's receiving--

Death is dead forevermore!

Hands Can Tell

By Dorothy E. Robbins Kreiss

Hands can tell, they say, so much

About your character and such.

Long and slim an artist's are,

Work-worn farmer's, seared and scarred.

I knew a carpenter once, he died

From nail holes in his heart and side.

Hands can tell so much, His say,

"I gave you life on Easter Day."

"Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed," (John 20:27- 29)

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand," (John 10:28)

What is one consequence of our Lord's death that we seldom think about? The Scriptures tell us:

"And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many,"
(Mat 27: 51-53).

HE CAME, HE DIED, HE AROSE, HE’S COMING AGAIN!

IN THE FULNESS OF TIME

By Dorothy E. Robbins Kreiss

In the fulness of time

Incarnate he came,

Came Christ to a manger's stall.

The sky burst its bounds

As the angels came down

To attend the birth of their King:

Oh, glorious, glorious, glorious birth

The King of all king's come to earth.

They took our great king,

On a cross he was hung,

For the sins of the world he was slain.

But he rose the third day

From the tomb where he lay,

Now he's reigning from heaven again.

Oh, glorious, glorious, glorious day

He arose to give life to his own.

In the fulness of time

Victorious he'll come,

He'll come at the trumpet's call;

The heavens he'll rend

As the angels descend:

Once more they're attending their King.

"Oh victorious, victorious,

Victorious," they'll sing,

"He's coming again for his own."

"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His son.... When we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.... Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,... in the dispensation of the fulness of times He (will) gather together in one all things in Christ,"

(Galatians 4:4; Romans 5:6; Ephesians 1:5; 10)

"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen," (Galatians 1:3-5)

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!

Where, O death, is now thy sting?Alleluia!

Made like him, like Him we rise; Alleluia!

Ours the cross, the grave the skies; Alleluia!

Post a Review

Want to comment on this article? We value your input

Please send us your comments and if you wish, a link to your site or a link to another page that supports your views and we'll post your valued input here.