💾 Archived View for gem.sdf.org › gorpub › worst_days.gmi captured on 2024-08-24 at 23:52:13. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 __^__                                  __^__
( ___ )--------------------------------( ___ )
 | / |  _____           _               | \ |
 | / | |  __ \         | |              | \ |
 | / | | |__) |__   ___| |_ _ __ _   _  | \ |
 | / | |  ___/ _ \ / _ \ __| '__| | | | | \ |
 | / | | |  | (_) |  __/ |_| |  | |_| | | \ |
 | / | |_|   \___/ \___|\__|_|   \__, | | \ |
 | / |                            __/ | | \ |
 |___|                           |___/  |___|
(_____)--------------------------------(_____)

The Worst of Days

Donald P. Goodman III

Version 1.0 (24 March 1202)

For long the darkness, thick and brutal, clouds the world,

a suffocating cover, stealing light and air;

about all things excruciatingly it's curl'd,

a monster, fangs a-drip, which made the world its lair.

In vain our plaints and curses at the dark are hurl'd,

but naught could for such hollow misery prepare:

before, behind, and with us only sorrow lays,

on this day of our passion; this, the worst of days.

For finally we had seen a glimmer of some hope,

a speck of light which pierc'd the endless depths of night,

a tiny fire far out at sea, through telescope,

for which the rolling waves of blackness we could fight;

a flashlight, known but darken'd, for which we could grope;

a flame which could a dark and frigid world ignite;

a hope beyond all hope did rise before our gaze,

before this day of passion; this, the worst of days.

But even that one hope, which we could barely grasp,

a hope beyond our knowing soon was taken down;

long-beaten by the beasts with scourge and roughen'd rasp,

mock'd brutally with misery and sorrow's crown;

from wooden throne came tortur'd, suffocated gasp,

and in its death did hope in endless darkness drown;

the world its own one hope in hatred now betrays,

on this day of its passion; this, the worst of days.

But still, this treason tore the curtain twain in two,

and open'd wide the door which had been shut to light;

the sun, more dark than ever, soon will shine anew;

our hope, now dead, will put the cold and dark to flight.

For tomb lasts not forever; our release is due,

and promis'd by that hope with e'er unfailing might;

that hope which shows the way beyond all other ways,

on this day of its passion; this, the worst of days.

-------------

All material in this Gemini capsule is offered under the CC-BY-SA license, unless otherwise noted.

Gemini Capsule

WWW Site