Christopher Villiers

Clothed with a thousand silk-spun sunbeams, You shine down motherhood upon all earth, Twelve twinkling stars adorn your head, and gleams Of moonlight peak between your toes…

The Father sings his Word into the void, From the depth of his heart bursts out this spring, Creation’s waterfall by Spirit buoyed, The breath of love…

Flame of the Father burning through the Son, Love’s inferno melting us into one, Babel’s confusion now at last undone, Over sin’s divisions the victory won. Fall…

He is gone, above the sun ascended, His body risen to beyond our eyes, Our years together on earth have ended, We look with longing out on…

What is this madness? Women’s gossip wild, Swirling in the gutters of our heartache, He is dead. Let him rest in peace, the child, Picking up the…

They had killed him. Our hopes had died On that barren hill, our redeeming King, Judged like a gangster and crucified, Israel’s dream they dead degraded fling…

The lamb born to be slain, alive once more, Springing over barbed wire of grave, The pale corpse frozen in agony raw, Thawed by the spirit’s quickening…

Another native above his station, Needing to be taught a simple lesson, Lest others be led into temptation, Convicted quickly in late-night session, We put him in…

And so it ended, my fine old career, A bandit’s life is rarely a long one, Hung up on a gibbet for all to leer, My pleasures…

What was that man? Not mad, I knew that sort, No freedom fighter I could understand, Like those other wretches before me brought, Whose blood my Roman…

It was not meant to be like this, this fear, Watching him from a distance go to die, I was meant to save him, that much was…

I did not want to do it, no pleasure, In killing that madman’s vain talk of peace, I did not do it for passing pleasure, I just…

The cup of pain brought to my lips this night An ordained offering of bitter wine Tomorrow’s battle grips my stomach tight Dread and obedience in prayer…

Lamps burning low in the evening cold, In an upper room they sit down to eat, He washes clean their feet, love’s service told, Before their betrayal…