I Once Was a Soldier

1. Why do we persecute this Jesus? this Palestinian Jew, with claim to one almighty God? Ahh! let me home, it’s all too much, and no avail. so I Longinus, leader of Pilate’s guard, which nailed him up, (he never complained) gave him up, his broken body to his mother and the crowd; Oh! pitiful crying and moaning, gnashing of teeth in their pious, bloody grief yet….he spoke to me, this Arab, this Jew, with his eyes, he looked resolute and calm: and a smile (aghast!) he had for me. and the earth trembled and shook; afraid; they loved him the many, I could see, and I spoke out loud the words that I believed, that he was real, and one with he above! and they looked at me, my men, and scowled, ahh!...who are they to know? and time and days passed. And I deserted: 2. and I took on the garb of wanderer, so as to be free, and sensed a great commotion; “he’s back!. He’s never dead!” and I was led by disciples’ horny hands, for they knew me now, to a tomb, gaping hole and door-stone rolled aside. and they shouted “where is he? where’s the master?” and a passing storm became a torrent and the rivers swelled and the winds blew their strong wind, and took away the grave’s harsh stink: then as quickly as it had begun, a sound like the rumble of a quake, split the sky and sunlight, warmed and dried the earth around. and there the master in shining white, fresh with neat trimmed beard, as if out for a walk with kith and kin, came. and up on a mountain we followed to the top, and he spoke; but because of the great clamor all about him, I could only catch a few words, “make new disciples,” “ teach” and something about him always being with us. and then (I tell no lie)…his body took up to the warm sky, with flowing robes and a choir of heavenly verse, the likes of which I had never heard. and he was gone. 3. and I taught his words, for some time after; and each time I spoke I felt grown; and so, I lived my life: but not for long; and soon I took his place and bid the sorry world, this place, a painful goodbye. and when next I saw his smile, his tearful foreign eye; I swelled; and went to his side: and he placed his hand in mine.