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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Washing His Hands – v3

Unable to remove the stain. the long-held objection
trying to put it on them as if he was an innocent
unable to stop the tide while he held the power
this man of the center, the face of power
wanting to wash his hands to remove responsibility
the voice of Caesar, the Roman Empire
in that holy, troubled land, Israel, Canaan,
the city of David, Jerusalem

Can you see him, through history, a specter,
a soul yet wandering, between heaven and hell
over and over he must have washed his hands
trying to remove the stain, the tattoo of innocent blood
blood he allowed to be spilt, blood of a king
given for his people, those who knew his name
whose oil was kept full, who knew more than anything else
they needed his gift, his boundless mercy, his ultimate sacrifice

His wife knew too, something was wrong, something very wrong
to shed this pure, clean blood, untainted by human sin
a human life lived godly, that should have been proof enough
especially to those vacillating, questioning twelve, disciples,
How could they go through three years of teaching, of learning,
of watching him, his actions, his compassion, his humanness,
his divinity, his pure love, his sinlessness, and not knowing

He was God; how could Pilate let the rabble dictate the death
of an innocent life, a man that did not threaten Rome
to sacrifice, to hang on the cross, instead of Barrabas
Washing his hands, no that didn’t truly clear his stain
that he must have carried, he must carry still, yet, unfinished
a soul yet wandering, between heaven and hell
like the Master knew, and wrote so well

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Edited December 11, 2013
“Washing His Hands – v3”
Edited March 26, 2013
“Washing His Hands – v2”
March 26, 2013
Washing His Hands”
Matthew 27:17b
Matthew 27:15-26
Sanctuary for Lent for 2013
by Robert V. Dodd
scripture and meditation for March 26, 2013
read March 26, 2013
&
earlier poem
December 2, 2006 20:02
“Washing His Hands
Matt 27:1-26; Luke 23:1-25
and The Master and Margarita
by Mikhail Bulgakov

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 26,900+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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