The Centurion's Monologue

"Matthew 27:54
Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God."


-----------The Centurion's Monologue

It was just a few hours ago...my numbed mind now drifts
Cat o' nine tails ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FU*&ING MIND
is what I asked him
then as an act of mercy from this grizzled centurion with
a face mangled and worn from the swords, knives and
passionate animus wielded by my foes of war: the Galls,
my fellow Romans in Antony and Octavian's civil wars the Sicilian revolt
... pleading with this pitiable weighted soul,
a sheep without a trace of belligerence yet obstinate in spirit
resignation to slaughter, bold embrace of cruelty air of cockiness
refusing to recant in the face thereof
inexorable onslaught and unbearable jeering to any man
with even the slightest iota of self dignity, pride
abscond from the throne of your inveterate need for victory
disregard your sterling reputation, your "aura"
empathize with all the failures of past great men, understood as necessary
rites of passage to maturation and eventual success
(Ptolemy, Alexander the Great, Cleopatra)
continue the miracles I told him...remember those yet to be healed
as it was purported that he relieved the afflicted with panache
and otherworldly effectiveness
all roads lead to Rome and many many many noble men
have found this instructive and quite poignant;
were stretched and bent by this great Republic yet didnt break
in kneeling they found liberation not shackles
[Rome beautiful matron of the gods of Olympus]
a support structure and an absolute glorious and all powerful
empire back of them
"why should you be any different?" hope in Romulus and Remus
and the opportunities afforded you pay homage to Caesar and these
whips
this crown of thorns you shall be given leave of
this crucifixion you shall not own..
...he told me "rather than to Caesar pay homage
to a life truly lived" that he hated what sin did to the human race
...that it deteriorated and continues to erode all our joy
with slow yet determinedly steady abandon
(which, he said engenders our need to beat, flog and curse our own kind)
he said he preferred to suffer so as to show us all a better way
that the most majestic and potent empire doesn't send its soldiers to die
so that women can be raped and children enslaved
but that we would in the end all lay down our weapons
and love one another




(....after staring at his lifeless body for quite some time I realized truly
that this man was God's son...the Son of God)