Easter A Night To Remember Poem by James Tipp

The night sky was brilliant, star studded
The warmth of the air hung upon us loosely
The garden seemed full of smells, cooking fires
People smells and the smell of fresh air mingled together
It gave a sense of closeness and warmth even safety.

We lay beneath the moon’s soft glow and wondered
So much had happened, so much achieved
The look on their faces when the crowd called
‘Hosanna in the highest blessed is he
who comes in the name of the Lord’

The Passover eaten together, yet different
Why does he always say such difficult things?
My body, when he broke the bread
My blood as we passed the wine
Ah well! Never mind now we are seeing results.

Keep watch with me he says; look at him praying
I should not have had the extra cup of wine.
My eyes feel heavy and the air is soft and the...
“Sorry Lord it was the wine and the night air”
Ill keep watch nothing to fear, this grass is so soft.

What’s all the commotion about, soldiers! where?
This cannot be happening, soldiers and temple guards
No its ok, there’s Judas with them, it must be alright
They have drawn their swords, Judas has kissed Jesus
They aim to kill us all, run everyone run, don’t look back.

I can hardly breath I’ve lost them, I think, what happened?
Why did Jesus let them take him, and what was Judas doing?
So many questions, such a change in fortune in a matter of hours
Surely Jesus will talk his way out, they all saw the crowds cheering
Yes! Jesus will turn everything round and we shall triumph.

I’ll take a chance and get as near as possible, its turned cold
Or perhaps its me, fear can do strange things to a person
The fire looks cheerful, nobody knows me here, “Excuse me,
What’s happening to the one they call Jesus? ” “ Do you know?
Friend of his, never met him, course I’m sure, leave me alone.

In hiding now, ashamed of myself, slept instead of watching
Ran instead of fighting, hid instead of helping,
Denied him, and now I remember his words; he knew.
I cannot face the others for I cannot face myself,
All is lost, our hopes and dreams, our future wiped out.

Black Friday when the authorities of Israel and Rome combined
When they schemed to take his life, he who had given back life to others
Where is God in all this as he promised, where is God? .
Like scattered sheep he called us, now the shepherd is to be slaughtered.
So we hide and fear and tremble what is our fate this Sabbath?

Jerusalem is quiet the Sabbath has passed; the others found me
I feel a nervous wreck, jumping at shadows, as we all are.
They looked to me for guidance, they should have looked to the women
In all this they keep busy planning, they were there at the end
Now they go into the dark to anoint him, whilst we cringe in hiding

The banging awoke me from my nightmare, the women are back
Someone is laughing, a high nervous laugh, someone is saying Hosanna
Be quiet do you want us all found, must you make our presence so obvious
The women are crying and weeping and hugging and ignoring my plea for silence
Then I hear their words, “He is not there, his body is gone, ” the angels said.

I have nothing to compare this morning with, nothing to gauge it by
Disbelief, anxiety, joy, doubt, ran through me like a torrent
The tomb was empty of everything including the guards
Only the grave cloths lying there as if they had never held a body
Somehow then I knew my work was about to really begin in earnest.