The Damned Kiss Poem by Varghese J Kuttikat

‘'Is it with a kiss that you betray me? ''
The piercing agony of getting betrayed
Gets further sharpened by the mode:
By a kiss, a human gesture of love profound
If Judas had even hit Jesus or spat on the face
The pain would have been, perhaps less
O Sweet Jesus, Love Incarnate, Savior
Why did Thou permit Thy hitherto trusted disciple
To throw himself into the furnace of fire and brimstone
Burnt alive, buried alive, in graceless grave
Unable to forgive himself, self-condemned, damned
Perhaps, we are all wrong in our judgment
At last Judas acknowledged the enormity of his guilt
The all-forgiving Lord would embrace him into his fold