White Brother

Midway between the flaming lines he lay,     A tumbled heap of blood, and sweat, and clay;          --God's son!     And none could succour him.    First this one tried,     Then that ...    and then another ...    and they died;          --God's sons!     Those others saw his plight, and laughed and jeered,     And, at each helper's fall, laughed more, and cheered;          --God's sons?     So, through the torture of an endless day,     In agonies that none could ease, he lay;          --God's son!     Then, as he wrestled for each hard-won breath,     Bleeding his life out, craving only death;--          --God's son!     --Came One in white, athwart the fiery hail,     And in His hand, a shining cup--The Grail;          --God's Son!     He knelt beside him on the reeking ground,     And with a touch soothed each hot-throbbing wound;          --God's Son!     Gave him to drink, and in his failing ear     Whispered sweet words of comfort and good cheer;          --God's Son!     The suffering one looked up into the face     Of Him whose death to sinners brought God's grace;          --God's Son!     The tender brow with unhealed wounds was scarred,     The hand that held The Cup, the nails had marred;          --God's Son!     "Brother, for thee I suffered greater woes;     As I forgave,--do thou forgive thy foes,                 --God's son!"     "Yea, Lord, as Thou forgavest, I forgive;     And now, my soul unto Thyself receive,                 --God's Son!"     Thick-clustered in the battered trench, amazed,     They gazed at that strange sight ...    and gazed ...    and gazed;                 --God's sons!     --The Christ of God, come down to succour one     Of their own number,--their own mate--                 --God's son!     And none who saw that sight will e'er forget     How once, upon the field of death, they met                 --God's Son.