MATTHEWUPON AN EVENING JESUS PASSED BY A PRISON
THAT WASin the Tower of David. Think you that these men were slaves or outcasts? And
in my solitude I thought of Him and I followed these two streams inHis
heart.
But I admired Him as a man rather than as a leader.
It is the potters hand I honor not the man who buys the ware.
And a beauty tooradiant to seem beautiful? But Rome
shall lie a white skeleton in the sun. We shall pass with the flowing of the rivers,
and we shall be nameless.
Could you hear in your dreams a voice shy of its
own rapture?
What heart save the lotus heart shall know both
earth and sky? And shall wisdom be born now, after Solomon has been gathered to
hisfathers?
We would cup our ears, but we do not hear; and
stretch forth ourhands, but we do not touch. Is it ever in us to forgetthe cup of
hemlock, even at the theatre of Dionysus?
His voice was like a claw in our flesh, and the
sound of Hisvoice is still a pain in our memory. It is the potters hand I honor not
the man who buys the ware. And there was naught for me then but to walk in the sun
and worship theloveliness of the hour. And I took the apple, and in my shameless
hunger I ate it. Iffreedom is in thought and word and action, He was the freest of
all men. He who works in the night fulfills their needs and the dew of His graceis
upon their petals.
But now the voices of the people rose again, and
the noise was greaterthan before. What a pity that His enemies confronted Him and
forced the issue. Therefore He faded into oblivion and that is His end.
And He gave it to me saying, Eat this also. No man,
no race, no empire would halt before a truth on its way towardsself-fulfilment. That
evening I returned to my fathers house to get my other cloak.
Can it be that the Syrian is conquering us in the
quiet hours of thenight?
And we know what the weedwould say of the oak tree
and the cedar. The first servant said, Behold, Master, I have bought and sold, and
Ihave gained.
It behooves themgladly to pay that dole to enter
into that city.
Aye, He could have said, Go back to your
kin.
His fragrance called me and commanded me, but only
to release me.
Would that you could be free in my freedom and walk
with me and mycomrades. Of a sudden He tarried and laid His cheek against the stones
of theprison wall.
And this alone of all that He said was unseemly,
inasmuch as only Romehad conquered the world. And in so doing His spirit changed
these minds and these spirits. She knew of my laughter, though it was hidden. And He
would not return the salutation of those who hailed Him, as thoughHe were above
us.
And I asked Him again, Have you not said that you
are the King of theJews? He would not accompany our sons and daughters on their
holidays.
But Heknew the passing of the seasons, and He would
sing His song.