AND A GOOD FRIDAY WAS HAD BY ALL

  You man there keep those women back
  and God Almighty he laid down
  on the crossed timber and old Silenus
  my offsider looked at me as if to say
  nice work for soldiers, your mind's not your own
  once you sign that dotted line Ave Caesar
  and all that malarkey Imperator Rex

  well this Nazarene
  didn't make it any easier
  really - not like the ones
  who kick up a fuss so you can 
  do your block and take it out on them
            Silenus
  held the spike steady and I let fly
  with the sledge-hammer, not looking
  on the downswing trying hard not to hear
  over the women's wailing the bones give way
  the iron shocking the dumb wood.

  Orders is orders, I said after it was over
  nothing personal you understand - we had a 
  drill-sergeant once thought he was God but he wasn't 
  a patch on you

  then we hauled on the ropes
  and he rose in the hot air
  like a diver just leaving the springboard, arms spread
  so it seemed
  over the whole damned creation
  over the big men who must have had it in for him
  and the curious ones who'll anything if it's free
  with only the usual women caring anywhere
  and a blind man in tears.

Bruce Dawe

And a Good Friday was had by all

And a Good Friday Was Had By All

 You men there, keep those women back and God 

Almighty he laid down on the crossed timber 

and old Silenus my offsider look at me as if to say nice work for soldiers, 

your mind's not your own once you sign that dotted line 

Ave Caesar and all that malarkey Imperator Rex

well this Nazarene didn't make it any easier really‑

not like the ones who kick up a fuss 

so you can do your block and take it out on them

Silenus held the spikes steady and I let fly with the sledge‑hammer, 

not looking on the downswing

 trying hard not to hear over the women's wailing

 the bones give way the iron shocking the dumb wood.

Orders is orders, I said after it was over nothing personal you understand‑

we had a drill‑sergeant once thought he was God 

but he wasn't a patch on you

then we hauled on the ropes and he rose in the hot air

 like a diver just leaving the springboard,

 arms spread so it seemed over the whole damned creation 

over the big men who must have had it in for him and the curious ones 

who'll watch anything if it's free with only the usual women caring anywhere 

and a blind man in tears.

‑ BRUCE DAWE

Painting by Rev Wes Campbell (used with permission)