Two thousand years and miles away
a foretold child was to poverty born.
A tyrant willed to keep his sway
and murdered children in his scorn.
The child would live to preach a love
that surpasses the smallness of our minds;
The despot now dwells in a dim-lit grove
of shattered urns and skeletal time.
That child became a man of words
which fell upon unhearing ears —
They twist his love to sharpened swords.
To a tree he’d be nailed: hyssop tears.
Yet though he too had died alone
like the despot who’d hunted him,
his message of love has only grown
in spite of new despots grim.
A tale of two kings in memory:
One turned to dust, one love’s victory.
Dec 27, 2024
Dec 27, 2024 at 5:49 PM UTC
Two thousand years and miles away
a foretold child was to poverty born.
A tyrant willed to keep his sway
and murdered children in his scorn.
The child would live to preach a love
that surpasses the smallness of our minds;
The despot now dwells in a dim-lit grove
of shattered urns and skeletal time.
That child became a man of words
which fell upon unhearing ears —
They twist his love to sharpened swords.
To a tree he’d be nailed: hyssop tears.
Yet though he too had died alone
like the despot who’d hunted him,
his message of love has only grown
in spite of new despots grim.
A tale of two kings in memory:
One turned to dust, one love’s victory.
The poem refers to the Holy Innocents, the children of Jerusalem that King Herod is said to have murdered to try and prevent the newborn king from taking his place (Matt 2:16–18)
Today is their day of commemoration
Any resemblance or reference to current political figures is of course coincidental