Easter Haiku

At a recent Maundy Thursday quiet day, Denise Creed our leader during that service, asked us to compose Haiku poems, Japanese poems, which contain a first line of 5 syllables, a second line of seven , and a third line again of 5.

The examples below were all written by the anonymous folk of Good Shepherd Church,Wallsend.

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Good Friday~good?~good?

What's good about your dying day?

It showed us~Your love!

Agony, pain death.

Compassion, Revelation,

Your dying for all.

He gave life for us,

We can live fully in him,

Sharing bread with all.

They crucified him

Love being tested and tried

All for love of us

Do you know God's love

A love given freely now,

For you and for me?

Jesus died for all,

Was hung on a cross to die,

Witnesses weeping.

Arms that stretched out wide,

Words that spoke of pain and love,

Reaching all mankind.

God made man to die,

Suffering and setting free,

People for all time.

Love incarnate here

Love thrown back in your face

Love you gave to me.

Crowned with painful thorns,

Dressed in royal purple robe,

King of glory still.

Pilate gave a choice,

Jesus in place of a thief,

Barabbas was freed.

Cruel crown of thorns,

Proclaiming Jesus as king.

Little did they know.

Jesus ,Son of God.

Beaten and mocked by many,

Save us by your love.

Listen to the crowd,

Baying for blood.

Jesus hung his head.

Pilate washed his hands

Gave Jesus over to die,

What else could he do?

O Lord let us share,

In your suffering as we,

Walk this gift of life.

This last one is about The Asylum System:

We cast you adrift,

Washing our hands of your pain,

Carry your own cross

Your wife, your young ones,

Cheerful to suffering go,

Their blood be on us.

And the arrest...(John 18. 2+)

Now they knew the place

Opened the door with a key

And moved in silence

In their flack jackets

Made you fill the plastic bags

With all you possessed

And said 'Get ready

Today is the day you go,

And no-one will know.

No need for goodbyes

No warm embrace of dignity

Get into the van.

Draw close my children

Shall we not drink the cup too

The cup of suffering?

We came to escape

We fled hoping to be safe

Here we are again!