Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Rowan Tree

A Conversation between Christ and the Rowan Tree

O Rowan Tree, weep not for me.
Limb on limb, I lie outstretched,
Thou hold’st me up in thine own arms,
Thou cradlest me from birth.
Weep not, weep not, O Rowan Tree,
Weep not for me.

O Christ, I can’st but weep for Thee,
I sorrow to be the instrument of torture for Thy limbs.
My tears pour down in steady flow,
The sap pours from my wounds,
Where nails have held Thee fast to me.
I did but wish to cradle Thee as in the manger days,
And now I weep from guilt.
Sorrowing, I weep for Thee.

O Rowan Tree, thou should’st not weep,
The sin is man’s not thine.
See, here, I bless thy flowing tears
And make them drops of wine.
Blood red, henceforth, thy berries be,
Thy berries, red as blood,
Thy tears, blood red as wine,
Wine red, as my own blood.

2 comments:

Peter Black said...

Judith, I love this poem.
The conversation is mutually gracious, and the 'voice' of the Christ very precious.
Taking time to prepare our hearts and minds to commemorate Good Friday and celebrate Resurrection Morning, is really worth it, isn't it?
May you have a very blessed worship weekend.

Judith Lawrence said...

Thank you, Peter, for your kind comments. I appreciate very much what you have said about the conversation being mutually gracious; and thank you for your comment that the 'voice' of Christ is precious.
The words we are given in poetry are the words God gives us and sometimes they are amazing to our own hearts and souls.
Good Friday and Easter morning are very special and, indeed it is worth taking the time to prepare ourselves for this commemoration.
Thank you for your blessings and I pray that you too will have a blessed time of worship.