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Wednesday 17 April 2013

The Cross


I am the way, I said.
How could they understand?
All faith is path, the path
the ultimate expression
of all the footfalls down the years
that have compressed the earth
and left a deep impression --
yet one so mystical
that only I could clearly see
the way the feet had worshipped it
and where they'd let it peter out
and lose itself in sand.

But only from the cross I saw
the state of man and things:
his soul and mine
so inextricably entwined.
It took the cross for that.

I saw the path laid out afresh,
the path he'd walked,
the path I'd walked,
the path that lay ahead.
It passed through flood
and tempest too,
in mountains disappeared,
was trapped by snow and ice.
Enormous rock falls buried it.

This was the path,
a rough and ready way
on which no tarmac lay.
It was reward --
the only one --
to man and I
for a rough cross
across the years
and Resurrection Day.

7 comments:

Janine Bollée said...

The point of view is an intriguing one when the upper case would be there anyway. You are giving the place of pain the aspect of an observation platform.
I couldn't help thinking of the Croagh Patrick Pilgrimage, although that is probably too literal an image for this poem.

Optimistic Existentialist said...

Quite an interersting perspective at play here Dave. I really enjoyed this.

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

A very different atmosphere here David the work you usually. But not less engaging. A strong poem,breathing spirituality and reminding me of probably my favourite poet: R.S.Thomas.

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

sorry the verb "post", after "usually", escaped me from my previous comment.

Carl said...

You have taken us to a whole new level here Dave. The point of view staggers me.

Dave King said...

aprille
Yes you're right to a point, though I didn't conceive it as a visual thing. "I saw" in the sense of "I understood", but I am intrigued by your "observation platform"!

Optimistic Existentialist
Thanks for saying so. All grist to the mill!

Tommaso
I came rather late to R.S. but mentioning him in this contest thrills me. I, too, am a great fan.

Carl
Thanks for this, Carl. Very encouraging as I have been struggling for a bit.

Mary said...

Yes, all faith is path. I like the way you have expressed that.

You said you have been 'struggling' a bit lately. I assume you mean poetically. Me too, Dave.

I didn't do any commenting yesterday, as we had thunderstorms all day, as we have had (it seems) for days and days and still today. Almost time to consider building an ark!