Judas by Vassar Miller
Judas
Always I lay upon the brink of love,
Impotent, waiting till the waters stirred,
And no on healed my weakness with a word;
For no one healed me who lacked words to prove
My heart, which, when the kiss of Mary wove
His shroud, my tongueless anguish spurred
To cool dissent, and which, each time I heard
John whisper to Him, moaned, but could not move.
While Peter deeply drowsed within love’s deep
I cramped upon its margin, glad to share
The sop Christ gave me, yet its bitter bite
Dried up my ducts. Praise Peter, who could weep
His sin away, but never see me where
I hang, huge teardrop on the cheek of night.
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One of my favorite poems, never forgotten from when long ago I was introduced to it (nearly 40 years…). Poignant.
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It’s good to hear that you ran across it again here. Vassar Miller saw and imagined with uncanny compassion, as you know.
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