Judas, Peter by Luci Shaw

Heads of Judas and Peter by Leonardo da Vinci. wikiart.

because we are all

betrayers, taking

silver and eating

body and blood and asking

(guilty) is it I and hearing

him say yes

it would be simple for us all

to rush out

and hang ourselves

but if we find grace

to cry and wait

after the voice of morning

has crowed in our ears

clearly enough

to break our hearts

he will be there

to ask us each again

do you love me?

I read this poem tonight at our Good Friday service. It was a beautiful service, and it's a beautiful poem, too. 

I heard a poet at the Faith & Writing Festival say that sometimes when a poet puts breaks in the lines, she might want you to take a breath. I practiced that when I practiced this poem and it made me notice some words that didn't rhyme, but there was a rhythm: taking, eating, asking, hearing.

And as I kept reading it aloud, it felt more and more like a song.