Gates of Paradise

Excerpt

The man sickened

And would soon die.

At this sad sight

God, the jealous God

Hardened the hearts of

Friends and wives,

Sons and daughters

But they were secretly ashamed,

Turned their hearts but

Not their eyes away

Spoke fair, yet knew him not.

The dying man then

Saw this evil he had done

And was ashamed

His strength left.

He withered

And became an unclean thing.

He saw and would not know

And so he could not see.

Thus what was now himself

Was by himself forsook

And two months later he died.