Greater Love 1963 Poem by Terry Collett

And Magdalene had taken
down the crucifix above
her parents' bed and dusted
it off with a yellow duster

and got the cobwebs off and
looked at the Christ nailed
there through hands and feet
and a crown of metal thorns

about his plaster head and she
remembered how Martha her
school friend had a fixation
with the Crucified as she called

him and once took a crucifix
to bed with her because she
wanted to be a bride of Christ
and her mother had told her off

for it she took the Christ over to
the window to see better in the
daylight and the Christ looked
old as if it had been around many

centuries she blew over it blowing
away minute particles she carried
it back climbed on to the bed and
put it back settled it straight then

stood there and bounced on her
parents' double bed a little she
wished she could bring Mary on
it wished they could make love in

it that would be a thrill the thought
that it was her parents' bed and they
might be home at anytime and be
caught she climbed off the bed

carrying the thought with her the
Christ looked down at the bed
hanging there how great a love it
must be to have your son nailed

there and still have the ability to
love mankind she mused something
she herself would not have or refused.