Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE DISCIPLE, by DWIGHT JAQUES BRADLEY



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE DISCIPLE, by                    
First Line: I could not leave thee, christ! For when I tried
Last Line: "I cannot leave thee, christ! For I am thine."
Subject(s): Jesus Christ


I could not leave thee, Christ! For when I tried
To leave thee for alluring ways aside
From thine own way, thy power withheld me, kept
My feet from wandering too far, inept
And aimless, down a dwindling path that led
Through mazed confusion to the house of dread.

I could not leave thee, Christ! For when I yearned
With passionate intensity and burned
With fiery torment to assuage my thirst
For freedom by a turbid stream that burst
In gushing torrents from a naked hill—
Thou ledst me back to waters deep and still.

I could not leave thee, Christ! For when I sought
To fling aside thy counsel, when I thought
That in my crazy freedom I should find
Some way of life for body, soul and mind
Better than thou didst teach, I heard thee say,
"Come back to me, for thou hast lost thy way."

I would not leave thee, Christ! For I am lame
From wandering, and the consuming flame
Of passion has gone out and left my soul
A smouldering ember, and the criss-crossed scroll
Of life ends as it started with the line,
"I cannot leave thee, Christ! For I am thine."





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