SAY whom did Paul the apostle greet,
As not asham’d to own his chain,
But tend’ring oft refreshment sweet,
To ease his toil, and soothe his pain;
Say too what Gentile convert sends
For Peter, by an angel warn’d?
Taught by a vision, he attends,
Though Gentiles then by Jews were scorn’d.
Which of the twelve apostles died
A martyr on th’ East Indian shore,
For preaching Jesus crucified,
Not in word only, but in pow’r?
And what poor slave once from the bonds
Of his Colossian master fled,
But, taught by Paul, at length return’d,
And tears of deep compunction shed?
What noted robber of his time
Was at the Jews’ demand releas’d,
(Though he had added crime to crime,)
At the last sacred paschal feast?
What sorcerer, in Cyprus’ isle,
When Sergius Paulus there bore sway,
Sought that proconsul to beguile,
When Paul was teaching “Christ the way.”
When Peter by an angel led,
Was rescu’d from impending fate,
And join’d his friends–what youthful maid
For gladness opened not the gate?
And now I’ll puzzle you no more,
But hasten instant to a close;
I only ask that, as before,
Th’ initials rightly you dispose.
(Elizabeth Hitchener)
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Based on Topics: Time Poems, Pain Poems, Fate & Destiny Poems, Angels Poems, Imagination & Visualization Poems, Crime PoemsBased on Keywords: rescu, compunction, releas, cyprus, initials, sorcerer, paschal, asham, paulus, proconsul, sergius