The Death Of The Gods

Zeus Hypatos thundered forth,
Odin One-Eye thirsted blood,
Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, ruled
the lands and countries and people thereof.
Jupiter and the gods of Rome
ruled with a fist of marble stone,
while spirits of the kings long dead
reigned o'er the chiefs and tribal heads.

Clashing, flashing in their rage,
death and carnage in their wake,
one against another brake,
then nursed their wounds and hot umbrage.

Then He came. What god is this?
The Son of Yahweh, king of the Jews?
A peasant's son, betrayed by a kiss,
born a jester, to amuse
the crowd and king and minister?

Has He power? Not like those
of all our gods, their power sinister.
What madman he, who chose
this path, this humbling path that leads to death?
No fame, no pow'r, no earthly glories,
though wonders shine through his fingertips,
and tales of Heaven and cryptic stories
and truth and Wisdom fall from his lips.
Who is this man? A great magician?
A madman? Liar? Or a god?

Our gods have come in human fashion,
berobed, besmeared and sandal-shod.
But suffered? Gods have never died
by human hands and in such shame!
A cross? A spear? Bystander-eyed?
No god for death and squalor came!

But how the earth reels at His death!
The sky it darkens, cracks in pain!
The graves are split, the dead find breath,
and cry 'Messiah!' again and again!

...Three days of silence, no trumpets of heaven,
this strange man's followers hidden in fear,
These taxmen and fishermen, twelve, now eleven.
No god's intervention. The coast is all clear.

- Thunderless lightning! Angels of fire,
soldiers collapse like the dead men of war!
Heralds of Heaven exhort and inspire
these trembling women who came here to mourn!

What man is this who stands pierced hand and foot?
No madman, no liar... but can he be God?
His followers will not believe 'til they put
their hand in his side, and stand still and awed.
'My lord and my god!' all doubters then cried.

And the immortal gods of humanity, died.