The twelve Apostles sought the Master’s face,
And told Him all that they had said and done :
But people thronged Him there; some stayed awhile
And left, and others came, so that they had
No time to take their necessary food,
Until He said, ” Come ye yourselves apart
Into a lonely place and rest awhile.”
A goodly fishing-boat lay near, its form
Reflected in the silent sea. To this
They came, and dipped the heavy oars ; and soon
They met a wind, and hoisted up the sail,
And steered across the lake.
The people saw
Him go, and knew perchance where He would land,
And went with haste around the water’s marge ;
Till so it was that when He reached the place
He found a multitude awaiting- Him.
They moored the boat ; and when the Lord came forth
And looked upon the multitude, He had
Compassion, for He saw them as a flock
Whom no man cared for, whom Himself would tend.
He walked with His disciples to the hill,
And, sitting down, He looked along the shore
And saw the people coming still. Some ran,
But some with weary step, and some who seemed
To walk with pain, slow, halting progress made.
To Philip, standing near, the Master turned,
And ” Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat ? “
He said : but knew, the while, what He would do.
And Philip said, ” Two hundred pennyworth
Would not suffice for every one to have
A little food.”
The Master welcomed them,
And spake the things which He had brought from God,
And those that needed healing there, He healed.
The sun meanwhile was shedding golden light
Along the gleaming surface of the lake,
And all the Twelve came near, and said
The day was late, there were no dwellings there,
And He should send the multitude away
To villages, to buy some food, and eat.
But Jesus said, ” They have no need to go
Away ; give ye them food.” ” And shall we go
And buy two hundred pennyworth of bread,”
They ask, ” and give them food ? ” So quietly
He spake, and said, ” How many loaves are here?
Go ye and see.” Then Andrew said a boy
Was there who had five loaves and two small fish.
” But what are they,” he asked, ” among all these ? “
And when the Master answered, ” Bring them here
To Me,” the lad came up, and placed the loaves
And fish beside some red anemones,
Before the Lord. And then He gave command
To make them all sit down in groups ;
And soon the people understood, and grouped
Themselves in companies, until the place
Was like a spacious garden, having scores
Of separate beds, gay with bright-coloured flowers.
There in their groups they stayed, reclining on
The grass, and looking toward the sea, to where
The Master stood, in act to bless the food.
He took the loaves and fish, and, looking up
To Heaven, He gave the Father thanks, and blessed,
And brake the bread, and handed to the men
To set before the waiting multitude :
The fish as well. When all were filled, He called
The Twelve to gather up the pieces left.
With pieces undistributed they filled
Twelve baskets full. Then at His word they took
The boat and rowed to reach the other side,
While He Himself would send the multitude
Away. Reluctantly, with wondering minds,
The people went their ways, and He was left
Alone. Then, wearied with the day, He sought
The mountain-side, and there alone He prayed.
(Gerard Addington D Arcy Irvine)
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Based on Topics: Man Poems, God Poems, Mind Poems, Faces Poems, Heaven Poems, Place Poems, Flowers Poems, Pain Poems, Water Poems, Fathers Poems, People PoemsBased on Keywords: pennyworth, fishing-boat, bright-coloured