White Brother
By William Arthur Dunkerley (John Oxenham)
Midway between the flaming lines he lay,
A tumbled heap of blood, and sweat, and clay;
--God's son!
And none could succour him.First this one tried,
Then that ...and then another ...and they died;
--God's sons!
Those others saw his plight, and laughed and jeered,
And, at each helper's fall, laughed more, and cheered;
--God's sons?
So, through the torture of an endless day,
In agonies that none could ease, he lay;
--God's son!
Then, as he wrestled for each hard-won breath,
Bleeding his life out, craving only death;--
--God's son!
--Came One in white, athwart the fiery hail,
And in His hand, a shining cup--The Grail;
--God's Son!
He knelt beside him on the reeking ground,
And with a touch soothed each hot-throbbing wound;
--God's Son!
Gave him to drink, and in his failing ear
Whispered sweet words of comfort and good cheer;
--God's Son!
The suffering one looked up into the face
Of Him whose death to sinners brought God's grace;
--God's Son!
The tender brow with unhealed wounds was scarred,
The hand that held The Cup, the nails had marred;
--God's Son!
"Brother, for thee I suffered greater woes;
As I forgave,--do thou forgive thy foes,
--God's son!"
"Yea, Lord, as Thou forgavest, I forgive;
And now, my soul unto Thyself receive,
--God's Son!"
Thick-clustered in the battered trench, amazed,
They gazed at that strange sight ...and gazed ...and gazed;
--God's sons!
--The Christ of God, come down to succour one
Of their own number,--their own mate--
--God's son!
And none who saw that sight will e'er forget
How once, upon the field of death, they met
--God's Son.