.
Before the resurrection was the death.
Before the death, the long path of suffering.
Before the suffering, the lonely struggle,
Agonizing solitude.
The Garden of Gethsemane,
Epitome of aloneness.
Even the closest would fall asleep
But one kept watch, awake for all.
Sweat dropped like blood
A heart pierced before nails were hammered in.
The soul cried out no, not this cup
But oh, not my will.
Not fear of sinews tearing from the joints
But the searing pain of separation
A Father who would leave totally alone
the tainted Son of Sin.
A prostrating prayer, a yielding spirit
The power of aloneness thus transformed.
As He got up from that rock, He had risen
Ready to accept the kiss of death.
I would never know the nailing pain
nor the bitter taste of that dreadful cup
But let me feel the power of solitary rest
To stay awake and rise and conquer death.
.
***
Poem by Arti of Ripple Effects
On the Eve of Good Friday, 2010.
Photos taken by Arti in Israel, 2007.
Top: Via Dolorosa, Bottom: A Garden in Jerusalem
All Rights Reserved.
Ripple Effects 
That is powerful Arti…
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Beautiful way to start Good Friday
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Yes… VERY powerful….
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It’s a masterpiece.
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Arti, this is just beautiful and rich. Each of the phrases sound like the pounding of nails into wood. Thank you for sharing your creativity.
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Thank you all for stopping by and leaving your comment. A blessed Easter to you and yours!
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This is beautiful! Thank you for sharing~
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“To stay awake and rise to conquer death…”
Wonderful line. Read the whole poem. Then checked the byline – it’s yours!
Beautiful. And then to have the photos from Israel to go with it.
Happy Easter, Arti!
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This poem makes me cry; it’s all the more amazing that you wrote it yourself! It’s so very moving to me, and sums up this holy, holy season so eloquently. Blessed Easter on you, Arti, and thanks for blessing me.
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Thank you, Arti, for your beautiful poem. I had not thought of my times of solitude in this way– nor that I could unite my solitude to His. Happy Easter!
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When I woke on Friday and couldn’t walk for a bit because of my vertigo, I experienced a kind of aloneness I never before have felt.
Your poem catches that sense of aloneness, deepens and broadens it, gives it the kind of eternal significance it deserves. We spend our lives avoiding it. One spent His life accepting it.
Thank God, indeed.
Beautiful.
.
Linda,
I hope you’re feeling better. While aloneness could enpower, sometimes it could send dread especially when one is feeling weak and not well. Thank you for still stopping by. Hope you’ll get well soon.
Arti
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Again, thank you to all for your kind words and your sharing. Special welcome to Anna, Julia Tamara, and Loren Fay. May we all experience the spirit and power of Easter not just this weekend, but the whole year through!
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What a powerful poem…. about the most powerful moment in history. Your words indeed speak to a human experience of solitude and isolation. Thanks
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excellent.
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I’m SO GLAD that Julia, Linda from Shoreacres, and Tamara came to see your poem, too. I was so moved by it I put a link to it on my Easter post.
.
Bellezza,
Thank you for the link on your Easter post. All first-time visitors to Ripple Effects, a hearty welcome!
Arti
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Beautiful, Arti. Thank you.
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The emotion and deep heart is potent here, thank you. I studied in Jerusalem for a week on study abroad in college, and I hadn’t imagined before going how much I would love the city, regardless of the biblical times connection. It has a cultural sense that more sophisticated than I expected, which sounds so dumb, but I was 19 after all.
.
Ruth,
I’ve been to Israel twice, but I wish I could spend more time living there and study, rather than just being a tourist. It’s a land so rich in a fusion of cultures and history. On another note, I’m so glad to hear that you’ll be posting mainly poetry and photography in April, just to celebrate NPM. I look forward to a month full of delicious offerings!
Arti
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Oh how I wish I could write like this, so emotive , truly. 😊
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