Humiliation - Beneath My Crown Of Thorns

[Dr. Cambridge]

HUMILIATION

Who
is this who mocks,
Who is this who scorns,
Who is this who makes for me,
A crown of prickly thorns ?

Who
is this who whips,
Who is this who flays,
Who is this who bruises me,
Until I'm in a daze ?

Who
is this who injures me,
With nails through my hands,
Who with spike impales my feet,
While no-one understands ?

Who
is this who wounds me,
With barbs around my head,
Who is this who makes me bleed,
And suffer 'til I'm dead ?

Who
has worn this crown,
Who has known its pain,
Who has died like Jesus when,
He took away our shame ?

Tell
whoever mocks,
Tell whoever scorns,
Tell these I forgive them all,
Beneath my crown of thorns.

Everyone
who wounds me,
And messes with my head,

Everyone
who makes me bleed,
I bless them back instead.

©27-07-05

http://holylandshopping.com/images/CROT01.jpg

[lallison]

OK, I confess, Its me who does all those things. ex: your poem just flat our stinks! ha, now you have to bless me.

Just kidding. Very appropriate timing, vivid imagery keeping with the theme for the day. The form you wrote it in is awesome and looks a bit like a spirit ascending into the sky. Everything is painfully crafted, including the symmetry. Nicely done.

[Dr. Cambridge]

OK, I confess, Its me who does all those things. ex: your poem just flat our stinks! ha, now you have to bless me.

Just kidding. Very appropriate timing, vivid imagery keeping with the theme for the day. The form you wrote it in is awesome and looks a bit like a spirit ascending into the sky. Everything is painfully crafted, including the symmetry. Nicely done.
Thanks. You have blessed and encouraged me. I was going through an extremely difficult time when I began working on this particular poem. Blessings upon you, lallison.

[dizzydoll]

That is really excellent, it should be published. :thumbsup: In fact it brought a tear to my eye. I look forward to more poetry from you. Bless you.

[Pendragon]

Grand poem of faith. Would make a good present to anyone who believes to hang on their wall.

[PrinceMyshkin]

It is indeed a grand declaration of Christian charity in action. The repeated, bold Who rings darkly throughout this like a series of Zola's J'accuse! leading up to a turn from the pleading of those repeated whos to the strength of that final Tell!

[hannah_t]

that is an amazing poem. Especially relevant around easter weekend. I like the bold one word in each verse, and how it inverts at the end. Well done ;)

[PrinceMyshkin]

The latter part of your poem's title has intrigued me for some time. I wonder especially if you meant something by "beneath"? I can imagine that your persona, Jesus, might be protesting, not the actual crown of thorns that was cruelly placed on his head, but the ennobling of him that mankind, Christians in particular, have intended by treating that as a symbol?

Might he, or the poem's title, be saying that beneath or below that crown there is a man (or a God made man) suffering the pain that any one of us might experience in similar circumstances?

This would of course fit with your own or someone else's suggestion that Christ would have chosen to be sacrificed even if only for one of us.

[Il Dante]

Your poem reminds me of this Christian hymn (you may have heard of it):

My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I,
That for my sake
My Lord should take
Frail flesh and die?

He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed for Christ would know:
But O! my Friend,
My Friend indeed,
Who at my need
His life did spend.

Sometimes they strew His way,
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King:
Then “Crucify!”
Is all their breath,
And for His death
They thirst and cry.

They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they saved,
The Prince of life they slay,
Yet cheerful He
To suffering goes,
That He His foes
From thence might free.

[Dr. Cambridge]

The latter part of your poem's title has intrigued me for some time. I wonder especially if you meant something by "beneath"? I can imagine that your persona, Jesus, might be protesting, not the actual crown of thorns that was cruelly placed on his head, but the ennobling of him that mankind, Christians in particular, have intended by treating that as a symbol?

Might he, or the poem's title, be saying that beneath or below that crown there is a man (or a God made man) suffering the pain that any one of us might experience in similar circumstances?

This would of course fit with your own or someone else's suggestion that Christ would have chosen to be sacrificed even if only for one of us.
I think I understand your question, PrinceMyshkin and I added the subtitle beneath my crown of thorns only on the forum heading to alert and emphasise with regard to the subject matter.

Firstly, yes the crown of thorns is a symbol of the suffering Christ, a reminder in fact, of the scorn and mockery made of His Kingship which although of an heavenly origin is also supported by the royal genealogy of His earthly parents, both of whom descended from King David.

Luke 1:31-33 KJV And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name JESUS. (32) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: (33) And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
Secondly, yes, if our suffering can be likened to Christ's it is as Christians who are metaphorically part of Christ's bloodline and heirs to His Kingdom, and like Him we are not exempt from humiliation, and this is a valuable lesson for those willing to learn it.