[
Post New Message |
Post Reply to this One |
Send Private Email to ilza |
Help
]
Response to Need to find a poem
from ilza (ilza@pobox.com)
it was written by Oscar Wilde
.
POEMS IN PROSE
The House of Judgment
And there was silence in the House of Judgment, and the Man came
naked before God. And God opened the Book of the Life of the Man. And
God said to the Man, `Thy life hath been evil, and thou hast shown
cruelty to those who were in need of succour, and to those who lacked
help thou hast been bitter and hard of heart. The poor called to thee
and thou didst not hearken, and thine ears were closed to the cry of
My afflicted. The inheritance of the fatherless thou didst take unto
thyself and thou didst send the foxes into the vineyard of thy
neighbour's field. Thou didst take the bread of the children and give
it to the dogs to eat, and My lepers who lived in the marshes, and
were at peace and praised Me, thou didst drive forth on to the
highways, and on Mine earth out of which I made thee thou didst spill
innocent blood.' And the Man made answer and said, `Even so did I.'
And again God opened the Book of the Life of the Man. And God said to
the Man, `Thy life hath been evil, and the Beauty I have shown thou
hast sought for, and the Good I have hidden thou didst pass by. The
walls of thy chamber were painted with images, and from the bed of
thine abominations thou didst rise up to the sound of flutes. Thou
didst build seven altars to the sins I have suffered, and didst eat
of the thing that may not be eaten, and the purple of thy raiment was
broidered with the three signs of shame. Thine idols were neither of
gold nor of silver that endure, but of flesh that dieth. Thou didst
stain their hair with perfumes and put pomegranates in their hands.
Thou didst stain their feet with saffron and spread carpets before
them. With antimony thou didst stain their eyelids and their bodies
thou didst smear with myrrh. Thou didst bow thyself to the ground
before them, and the thrones of thine idols were set in the sun. Thou
didst show to the sun thy shame and to the moon thy madness. And the
Man made answer and said, `Even so did I.' And a third time God
opened the Book of the Life of the Man. And God said to the Man,
`Evil hath been thy life, and with evil didst thou requite good, and
with wrongdoing kindness. The hands that fed thee thou didst wound,
and the breasts that gave thee suck thou didst despise. He who came
to thee with water went away thirsting, and the outlawed men who hid
thee in their tents at night thou didst betray before dawn. Thine
enemy who spared thee thou didst snare in an ambush and the friend
who walked with thee thou didst sell for a price, and to those who
brought thee Love thou didst ever give Lust in thy turn. And the Man
made answer and said, `Even so did I.' And God closed the Book of the
Life of the Man, and said, `Surely I will send thee into Hell. Even
into Hell will I send thee.' And the Man cried out, `Thou canst not.'
And God said to the Man, `Wherefore can I not send thee to Hell, and
for what reason?' `Because in Hell have I always lived,' answered the
Man. And there was silence in the House of Judgment. And after a
space God spake, and said to the Man, `Seeing that I may not send
thee into Hell, surely I will send thee unto Heaven. Even unto Heaven
will I send thee.' And the Man cried out, `Thou canst not.' And God
said to the Man, `Wherefore can I not send thee unto Heaven, and for
what reason?' `Because never, and in no place, have I been able to
imagine it,' answered the Man. And there was silence in the House of
Judgment.
(posted 9654 days ago)
[
Previous |
Next
]