“The Three Enemies” | POEM of the week
Poet: Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) Written: 1851 Published: 1862 THE FLESH "Sweet, thou art pale." "More pale to see, Christ hung upon the cruel tree And bore His Father's wrath for me." "Sweet, thou art sad." "Beneath a rod More heavy, Christ for my sake trod The winepress of the wrath of God." "Sweet, thou art weary." "Not so Christ: Whose mighty love of me sufficed For Strength, Salvation, Eucharist." "Sweet, thou art footsore." "If I bleed, His feet have bled: yea, in my need His Heart once bled for mine indeed." THE WORLD "Sweet, thou art young." "So He was young Who for my sake in silence hung Upon the Cross with Passion wrung." "Look, thou art fair." "He was more fair Than men, Who deigned for me to wear A visage