When I first encountered this sensational poem, this author's interpretation of a Biblical verse, I found it even more beautiful because I mistakenly placed an indefinite article in the twelfth line. Whether its omission really detracts from our perspective, I shall leave to the readers. The original is here.
A Gentile, Jew, or simply man,Whose face would fall in sands of time,
No silent letters of his name
Oblivion allows to chime.
What of forgiveness could he know,
This thief Judean nailed to a cross?
To time elapsed we will not come
Today or ever, all is lost.
One last task left, to crucify,
And from the crowds and taunts he heard
The man by him in death allied
Was God, to Him then blind he stirred:
Remember me when Thou will come
Into Thy kingdom. And in eyes
Beyond the fearful cross, Our Judge
Incredible spoke Paradise.
No more was said before death's door,
But history will not forget
Or fail to paint that afternoon
The final sun that on them set.
O friends, innocent was he
Whom Jesus Christ would call a friend!
His candor sought, against disgrace,
Just Paradise at earth's broad end.
This candor fed both blood and sin,
Until he saw that time would win.