Photo by Rafał Rudol on Unsplash

A Broken Vessel Made Whole

by Robert M. Starr

I touched the wood with a trembling hand

And felt the blood of a crucified man.

He was guiltless, innocent, without sin,

Yet He hung on the cross, dying at the hands of men.

I thought of the ones who had put Him there,

And my heart knew the bitter pain of despair.

I knelt at His feet, filled with shame;

He looked down at me and called my name.

The suffering in His voice was more than I could bear,

For I knew that I had put Him up there.

His head was covered by a crown of thorns;

His brow was bleeding and His flesh was torn.

A sign proclaimed Him king of the Jews,

But I knew in my heart He was my King too.

I felt His love reaching out to me,

Offering life for eternity.

My eyes met His; peace flooded my soul,

For a broken vessel was now made whole.

About Robert M. Starr

Starr is a native Texan who feels more at home in wild places than cities. Starr “lies for a living” by writing the kinds of fictional stories he likes to read, and he also writes the occasional bit of poetry. Starr’s two published novels, Until Shiloh Comes and A Walk in the Wilderness, have won awards. Starr’s new release, The Mountain Valley Wrangler, is a traditional western. Starr’s poem, “The Cross that Reached to Heaven” will appear in Issue 3 of Lost Pen Magazine. Visit Starr on Amazon  and Goodreads.