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Easter Monday
he is not living, he's dead
other realities pending
Il Papa, Holy Father, the Pope
this was his home, his basilica
St Peter's, heart of a church
they'd known he was poorly
prayed for him even
and now he's died
a few flags flying at half mast
Carabinieri out on the streets
world's news teams gathering
stories to be told, vox pops recorded
'I was there when the news broke'
yet Rome goes on, normale
as usual tourists everywhere
pilgrims on Via della Conciliazione
school trips snake through crowds
cafes, restaurants ply their trade
buses and trains keep rolling
Roma to play Inter Milan

the Pope is dead
a conclave will gather
black smoke, then the white
and a new one will be elected
for now more important questions
dust off the plans, make new ones
prepare for the influx, the bookings
ready the beds, plan for extra supplies
what's it going to do to the traffic
how will it affect my commute
been here before, will again
life goes on, it has to
long live Il Papa


22nd April 2025
Stephen Cooper
Rome
you couldn't blame us
doors locked, windows barred
they'd arrested Jesus, killed him
how long until they'd come for us
only Peter and John had ventured out
check the women's story, unbelievable
empty tomb, angels, 'he is risen'
yet it was just as they'd said
but what to make of it

then there he is
standing among us
do we touch, can he speak
is he a ghost or is this really him
'how about something to eat'  he says
fish cooked, he eats, no hallucination
you can still see the marks of the nails
flesh and blood he's alive, we know it
it can't be true but it is, we've seen
what does it mean, dead, alive
and then he's gone

resurrection's synagogue talk
end times, God's final judgement
but this is real, this is now, Jesus
what are we to make of it all
who'd believe us anyway
need to think it through
all that he had to say
a lot to take on board
to get a handle on
so where to begin
and is the place to do so
behind locked doors


Tuesday of Easter Week
22nd April 2025
following Luke 24
scenes glimpsed almost frozen
while life goes on around
passing at speed, never resting
those stop-motion moments

supper
garden
betrayal
arrest
trial
Pilate
sentence
scou­rging
cross
nails
theives
mother
forgiveness
death
spear
burial
s­tone
guards
morning
tomb
empty
body
gone
angels
"he is not dead
he is risen"
meeting
alive

how to comprehend
the incomprehensible
to haul on board
reality beyond understanding
except that it was, it is, it will be
we saw, we touched, we spoke
we witnessed, we know


Monday of Easter Week
21st April 2025
following Mark 16.1-8
nails, spear, tomb
dead, buried and gone
their hope for a renewed
transformed future lost
utterly defeated
death reigns
for one man
for humanity
they were certain
friends, opponents
authorities alike

except that
in defiance of reason
contrary to all expectation
death is far too small a thing
to constrain, to make an end
of love in all its fullness
not the anticipated
full stop

last day
in the garden she
had watched him buried
stone rolled, guard set
it was all over, done
only grief remained
aching absence

first day
she heard a word
penetrating the tears
voice unmistakable
"Mary"

dead
but no longer dead
however improbable
fully, huggably, utterly alive
even if they wouldn't believe it
accept the truth of it from a woman
debate forever what it might mean
yet whatever they may say
I know what I know
I heard, I spoke
I saw, I held
alive


Easter Sunday
20th April 2025
following John 20.1-20
spear ****** avoids mistake
always thorough, the romans
dead no doubt about it, then
hurried burial, borrowed tomb
silence of the grave

blithely oblivious life goes on
festival in the temple celebrated
somehow missing its point
business in the markets as usual
too important to fail

sun persists in shining
planets in their orbits dance
galaxies whirl across the void
cut loose from their moorings
in the silence adrift

the universe holds breath
Word through whom all things
came into being, even life itself
Word made flesh who dwelt among us
heartbeat of the cosmos absent

that silence
when we have killed God


Saturday of Holy Week
19th April 2025
following John 1.1-14 and John 19.38-42
'a man of sorrows
acquainted with grief'
song of the suffering servant
'wounded for our rebellions
crushed by our guilt'
'led like a lamb to the slaughter'
some say he was afflicted by God
despised, struck down, punished
others suggest blame lies elsewhere
in the evil choices of humanity
its wars, conflicts, exploitations
those darkest, deepest of places
where the devil walks
in the diabolical decisions
of hearts and minds enacted
or the craven failure to act
in history and the present day
yet even in such places
'by his wounds we are healed'
for even as we killed him
of those who did the deed
and of those who stood aside
he found the grace to pray
'Father forgive them
they know not what they do'
and we need it



Good Friday
18th April 2025
following Isaiah 52.13 - 53.12
and Luke 23.34
the crack began in the garden
between the is and the intended
what could be versus what will
fissure, fault line splintering
seeming such a small thing
that decision, the apple eaten
free-will flowing of love's gift
yet responsibility demanded
opening up paths divergent


void of understanding
incomprehension a chasm
essence drowning in absence
abyss, the unknown and unknowable
yet power, wealth, authority drive
the anthem of 'I did it my way'
shaping the world to our desires
claiming mastery of our fate
the captaincy of our souls


can the gap, that widening maw
find a place, space for resolution
again finger tip to finger tip with God
some spoke of incarnation, personhood
demonstrating his character and purpose
our reality reflected in his presence
human independence disrupted
so the mirror was smashed
disturbance destroyed


"it is finished"
God's dying words
echoing into the silence

sound of the cosmos fractured
utterly, humanity triumphant
while most never noticed
business as usual
life went on



Good Friday
18th April 2025
following John 19
Paul Anka and William Henley
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