forgiveness
Caryl Ramsdale, American Poet
GOLGOTHA
to Glen Buchanan
12/16/1920-05/01/2000
This is the place called Golgotha,
Where our Lord was crucified;
This is the place called Golgotha,
This is where our savior died.
This hill is named Place of the Skull;
The story's told far and wide,
There's Jesus hanging in the midst;
With a thief on either side.
Guards sat at the foot of this cross,
Casting lots for our master's gown;
They scorned this carpenter's son,
Made fun of His thorny crown.
Pilate had written a title,
"JESUS KING OF THE JEWS" it read;
Holy men mocked God's Holy Son,
Those passing by wagged their heads.
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them,
For they know not what they do."
Then God dropped a veil of darkness,
God darkened the bright sun too.
Our savior cried in a loud voice,
"It is done" and bowed His head;
God divided the earth with a quake;
The scripture's fulfilled they said.
Jesus lay in a rich man's tomb,
A great stone covered the door;
Someone put a seal 'round that door,
And God shook the earth once more.
An angel of the Lord came down,
And rolled the great stone away;
"Jesus' gone. He's risen," he said,
"Come! See the place where He lay."
Last they saw Him in Galilee,
He'd paid the price for our sin;
"I am with you always," He said,
Then ascended toward heaven.
© Copyright 1999-2007 Caryl Ramsdale. All rights reserved.
Copyright© Yuko Ohigashi of Japan_young composer/pianist CD's available.
"GOLGOTHA" is one of the first four poems written for this collection in the spring 1993.