Easter Sunday (7)

Easter Hymn

If in that Syrian garden, ages slain,
You sleep, and know not you are dead in vain,
Nor even in dreams behold how dark and bright
Ascends in smoke and fire by day and night
The hate you died to quench and could but fan,
Sleep well and see no morning, son of man.

But if, the grave rent and the stone rolled by,
At the right hand of majesty on high
You sit, and sitting so remember yet
Your tears, your agony and bloody sweat,
Your cross and passion and the life you gave,
Bow hither out of heaven and see and save.

                              A E Houseman


A E houseman (d 1936) was a British classical scholar and poet best known for his cycle of poems entitled A Shopshire Lad. Housman was  an agnostic,the yearning of his “Easter Hymn”  is deeply touching. His  tomb lies in St. Laurence’s Church in Ludlow, England.


graphic: Easter Sunday by K Morey Bailey