Poetry --- Psalms 22

Archive, first draft from 2011-07-19

My God, My God, please hear my plea.
Oh, why have You forsaken me?
You are so far from saving me,
And from my words of misery.

Oh God, My God, I cry by day,
but not one word I've heard You say.
By night I pray but have no rest,
No comfort comes, no welcome guest.

But You are true, and praised by all.
They trusted You and did not fall.
They cried to You and were set free.
They hoped in You and did not flee.

A crimson worm, I'm not a man;
But scorned by men, despised by them.
They sneer at me, stick out their tongue;
They wag their head and call me dung.

Commit to God! Go on! Be brave!
Let's see if God will really save.
Since God has said, "This is My Son,"
Come! Prove to us that you're the one.

Yet You are He who brought me forth;
Who made me trust in You from birth.
Stay close to me as trouble comes,
For no one else can lead me home.

The bulls surround, encircle me.
They open wide their mouth at me.
As lions tear and roar for prey,
They rave and roar at me, today.

Like water, I am poured to ground,
And all my bones are stretched, unbound.
My heart is wax in melting flame;
My strength, dried out in shrinking shame.

My tongue, a piece of broken pot,
In sticking to my jaw, feels hot.
I'm placed within the dust of death,
In ashes where ther is no breath.

For dogs surround me everywhere,
And evil men who do not care
pull rope around my throat,complete,
to pierce my hands, and then my feet.

My ribs, like tally marks, are seen.
They stare and gape at me, unclean.
My clothes are shared among them all,
And on my cloak, the dice, they roll.

[continued 2012-02-27 (with different meter)]

But You, O Lord, my help, be near; come quickly to my aid.
Release my soul from looming death; my life from sword's bright blade.
Come take me from the lion's mouth; and save my life from dogs.
Hold closely my afflicted soul, when gored by savage ox.

And I will tell your name to friends, and sing your praise with all.
Let all who fear the Lord give praise, and we shall stand in awe.
For He has not despised His one, afflicted unto death;
But He has seen, and He has heard, and given him life's breath.