On the Cross Forsaken

The air was heavy around that cross
The sky was dark with gloom
Dice the soldiers dumbly toss
The world went dark at noon

What evil men did to our Lord
Brought from his lips no sound
But something else would pluck a cord
and shake the very ground

an awful and appalling cry
arose as from a well
a sound so awful filled the sky
as if a sound from Hell

no ear had ever heard such pitch
that spoke that word “Forsaken”
it must have frightened every witch
sin’s cauldron also shaken

as every sin was laid on Him
as stinging biting adder
He ached and cried without, within
No soul was ever sadder

Stripped of mercy alone and stark
No ounce of comfort given
Alone with sin there in the dark
To this lamentation driven


The cry ,”Eli Sabactani”
Must have startled Heaven
Of all the words while He hung high
These were the worst of seven

But from that awful smoking flax
He smothered judgment’s fire
And paid with blood the sinner’s tax
And arose to take us higher.

                         id