Geoffrey Anketell Studdert Kennedy (1883-1929)
Indifference
1When Jesus came to Golgotha they hanged Him on a tree,
2They drave great nails through hands and feet, and made a Calvary;
3They crowned Him with a crown of thorns, red were His wounds and deep,
4For those were crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap.
5When Jesus came to Birmingham they simply passed Him by,
6They never hurt a hair of Him, they only let Him die;
7For men had grown more tender, and they would not give Him pain,
8They only just passed down the street, and left Him in the rain.
9Still Jesus cried, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do,"
10And still it rained the wintry rain that drenched Him through and through;
11The crowds went home and left the streets without a soul to see,
12And Jesus crouched against a wall and cried for Calvary.
Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text: G. A. Studdert Kennedy, Rhymes
(London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1929): 43.
1929 (7) 3853 Cambridge University Library
First publication date:
1929
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: 2003
Recent editing: 1:2003/8/10
Rhyme: aabb
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