[sral]

"Stigmartyr"

Forgive me Father this stigmata for my sins.
The blood on my hands,
coloured so sanguine,
a punishment that seems harsh to have inflicted.
I'm here to hark for your forgiveness,
for everything I've done.
Every wicked one I've lived through until thy Kingdom come.
I admit I've stumbled on the path to righteousness -
In fact,
it might of been what made me turn my back in spite of it.
And, despite my sins,
here I stand in your church
hankering purpose,
asking your worship if I can be of service.
In the past I'd uncertainty,
but now I stand here corrected
Having seen my past in reflection I'm looking for a chance at redemption.
I thought I'd find the answers in heaven, but
all I had was more questions.
Ironically, my challenged perspective
was what helped me to see how selfish I'd been
in dispelling your leadership.
Now, I'm knelt on my knees,
Here to repent.
Fearing the sentence for all the years that I've spent disbelieving your strength.
The bleeding intensifies where my taut, marked, flesh
has formed dark red blotches like a Rorschach test.
This crown of thorns' sharp edges piercing my skin
with fierce intermittent stabs
to reveal what's within.
I need your forgiveness, Lord,
so my duty here I pledge before I truly meet my end
I'm guilty of a homicide.
The man I used to be is dead.