Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, GOOD FRIDAY, by MARTHA PROVINE LEACH TURNER


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

GOOD FRIDAY, by                    
First Line: There was no glory on the hills that day
Last Line: Against a vacant sky.
Subject(s): Good Friday; Holidays; Holy Week; Religion; Theology


There was no glory on the hills that day;
Only dark shame,
And three stark crosses rearing at the sky.
Only a whining wind,
And jeering,
And an anguished voice
Crying forgiveness.

Then darkness fell.

We sit today in cushioned pews
And for three hours we watch with Him,
Singing and praying,
Hearing quiet words.
There is a gentle rustle as we move in and out,
Too busy to stay long,
Or else too tired
To sit so long a time
In cushioned pews.

We see a golden cross
And pray to God
That some day,
In His own good time,
The world may do His will.
But we ourselves
Have little time to help—
Except to say a prayer
On cushioned pews.

The golden cross is all aglow
In candle flame.

It burns like flame.
Like flame it burns into my heart—
The golden cross has turned to fire
The candle glow—
Has set the cross on fire—
The burning cross up on the altar
Cries—
Cries out to me.
The flaming cross is burned into my heart!

The others have not seen.
There is the golden cross
And candle glow.

There was no glory on the hills that day;
But one stark cross
Against a vacant sky.





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