Story in Poem

It's not too often that I feel inspired to write a substantial poem, but one day in December 2012, I did.  This poem is very personal for me, because it parallels my life experience in very significant ways.  But more broadly, the female character in this poem reflects to a large extent the story of every person who has come to discover the ultimate hope in life.  I hope you can identify with it.

To Have You Back Again

He came upon the storm-scarred girl
Wrapped up in rags, stooped sad and still,
Callous to the storm around
Sick, she stayed upon the ground
And did not even seem to care
To catch his sympathetic stare

"What ails you, dear,
Why sitting here?
Come shelter from this nearby sea
For I would see you healed, and free."

"I'm sorry sir
Your quest is vain
For I have nothing left but shame
And sorrow, sickness and regret
A few tears left
An endless debt

No path to joy is left for me
I've given up that hopeless plea
Walked the road I thought went there
But failed, spent, now I'm stuck here."

"The web you're in is strong and deep
But sin and shame cannot me keep
From asking you to walk again
To join me in my journey home
To come and run with me once more...
For all you’ve lost I would restore."

"I think I'm past that sir, you see,
My heart is maimed,
I'm drowned in pain
Words cannot heal my guilty stain.

I chose the path where I now lie
I journeyed here and now will die
I can't suppose the curse will fly
That I invited; why do you try?"

 

The young man's face
then seemed to cloud,
A pain he could not speak aloud
Crossed over his brow and into his eyes...
But would not deter him from his prize.

"The cost will be high
But I will pay,
your groans to end,
Your pain to stay…
I will walk the only way
That leads your heart
To endless Day.

I will walk
the blackest mile
For so I prize
Your loving smile

I will swallow up the curse
By letting it drown me.

I will take on
All you have
To give you
All that's mine."

The girl's heart found no pow'r to decline
The stranger's strong sweet offer then
"Come run with me," the young man said,
For I would have you back again."

She gave him all she had long known
He took it on himself to own--
Her sickness, sorrow, death and curse,
To gain something he wanted worse
Than all it cost to win:

To see her laugh and smile again
Because she now had
                                               Him.