I See His Blood Upon The Rose

Brevity is the soul of wit. (Polonius, Hamlet) - William Shakespeare, 1564-1616. This moving poem was written by Joseph Plunkett, an Irish national executed by  firing squad in 1916 for his involvement in the so-called 'Easter Rising' or 'Easter Rebellion' in Ireland in the same year, i.e. during the Easter Week of 1916.  Apparently the insurrection was quickly suppressed at the time by the British who were sporting vastly superior numbers.    Why do I mention all this ... to demonstrate that Plunkett was a rebel, a fraud and a hypocrite for writing beautiful Christian poems while simultaneously involving himself in rebel movements?  No, on the contrary, but to illustrate that people many times may (e.g. in respect of economics, politics, Christian doctrines etc.) differ in opinion, choose different sides, adhere to different doctrines, follow different schools of thought and yet be devout Christians anyway.  We are human, we make mistakes.      There is ample anecdotal evidence in literature today that, during WWII, Christians on the side of the Allies fought against Christians on the side of the Axis powers ... not all Italians necessarily agreed with Mussolini and not all Germans necessarily agreed with Hitler; and not all soldiers from the Axis powers were necessarily atheists (or Nazis and Fascists) just as not all soldiers from the Allies were necessarily Christians.    This is a sobering thought, and hopefully will make us all more tolerant toward those who sometimes may appear to be different from us.   Remember the old adage?: 'A stranger is just a friend we do not know'.

I See His Blood Upon The Rose (Joseph Mary Plunkett, 1887-1916) I see His blood upon the rose And in the stars the glory of His eyes, His body gleams amid eternal snows, His tears fall from the skies. I see His face in every flower; The thunder and the singing of the birds Are but His voice ‒ and carven by His power Rocks are His written words. All pathways by His feet are worn, His strong heart stirs the ever-beating sea, His crown of thorns is twined with every thorn, His cross is every tree. Bibliography 1. Nicholson & Lee, eds.  The Oxford Book of English Mystical Verse. 1917.  Accessed At <http://www.bartleby.com/236/342.html > [online] 2014.