JUDAS’ REPROACH

"... he was troubled in spirit, and testified, 
				and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
				that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples looked 
				one on another, doubting of whom he spake.  He then lying 
				on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus 
				answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have 
				dipped it. And when he  had dipped the sop, he gave it to 
				Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.  And after the sop Satan 
				entered into him.... He then having received the sop went out 
				immediately out: and it was night."	
						John 13:26-27 (King James Version)

			
		JUDAS' REPROACH

		Handing me the bread
		dipped in the dish--
		not saying.

		It was your look.
		In your hand:
		my shame.

		Judas the faithless,
		Judas the weak,
		eternally.

		Forever to regret
		not saying
		"I will not touch this sop."


(originally published in GOSPELS IN OUR IMAGE, a Harcourt Brace anthology edited by David Curzon)