This poem was inspired by the brightness of Christmas lights in the dark, late 
fall days of Boston. It was also inspired by Dostoyevsky's story, The Legend of 
the Grand Inquisitor, set within the novel, the Brothers Karamazov and written by 
the atheist, intellectual brother. It is a story I particularly love and admire.

Jesus
"It is many long years since I've walked on the Earth
The place looks so bright, all around me is mirth
I'm surprised by this greatest profusion of wealth
All around me are happy, strong faces in health
In my days with riches along came bad vice
Here all are quite well off and all are quite nice
They listened, they listened, and now I'll rejoice
I lived not in vain for they all heard my voice"

Cynic
"Take credit only where credit is due
Progress has come, yes, but in spite of you
On riches and pleasures you cast one grand hex
Denied all good living and gave up your sex
You touched all the poor as they lay at your feet
They thought you were God, they gave you a treat
If all humans had been in like measure depraved
You'd have had every bit of the power you craved."

"What drove you to throw off your life I don't know
But pain on Earth lasted long after that show
Years later when minds tried to sever your grip
The pope, your true son, made free use of his whip
So that those who were free from your great mental chains
Had to suffer their thoughts under terminal pains
So by miracle only your lies were unfurled
We've buried your chains and set free the world."

Jesus
"You cannot be saying the things that I hear
To miserable lives I tried to add cheer
We're all sons of man with rich souls to be freed
That's what I said in the Bible you read
I taught for there wasn't another to teach
For many's the man who is well within reach
Of his soul and with just a bit of good aid
But I didn't play God for with them I prayed"


"Some rich men grew angry and took me by force
The judges, corrupt, hung me up on the cross
And I looked in great pain, what an end this would be
Oh, my God, Oh, my God, why forsakest thou me
Once I was dead they all misused my name
Theirs was the power and mine is the blame
It was those who opposed me who fettered the path
But Oh, I was dead and thus useless my wrath."

"So if you must blame me I will not stop you
I have so few years left of living to do
A gift from good God who said that I earned
A little more life, so to Earth I returned
Though errors I made as all good men do
My message I see has clearly come through
If only through others, I've still no regret
Its life that's important and that, don't forget"

Stan Gedzelman
18 December 1967