THE KISS

THE KISS


I THINK IT WAS THE KISS THAT BROKE HIS HEART
NO MATTER WHAT ELSE WAS DONE TO HIM
THAT NIGHT AND NEXT DAY
NOTHING COULD MATCH THE FRIENDSHIP SIGN
AND GREETING
HAIL RABBI
PERHAPS THAT'S WHY HE STOOD SO SILENT
IN FRONT OF PILATE
EMPTY
TOO HURT FOR WORDS
OR TO EVEN CARE
THREE YEARS HE'D KNOWN THE MAN
HAD ATE WITH HIM LAUGHED WITH HIM
SHARED CONFIDENCES AND MEMORIES
HAD THOUGHT HE HAD A FRIEND
PETER JAMES JOHN THE REST WOULD RUN AWAY
THEY WERE AFRAID
HE COULD UNDERSTAND FEAR
HE WAS AFRAID HIMSELF NOW
HIS BODY WAS WET WITH NERVOUS SWEAT
HID MIND STILL ECHOED HIS WORDS
OH GOD LET IT PASS LET IT PASS
IF JUDAS HADN'T KISSED HIM FOR A PRICE
HE MIGHT HAVE DONE IT BETTER
BUT THE KISS TOOK THE HEART FROM HIM
SO THAT HE STOOD EMPTY SILENT HEART GONE OUT
LIKE A LAMB BEING LED TO SLAUGHTER
F. A. VOLLMER