Peter's Denial

The soldiers come out as he prays, Judas leads the throng,
He asks why they come out with swords, for he had done no wrong.
This I can bear no longer and I take out my sword,
I sever the ear of the servant of the high priest who sent the horde.

He reaches down and takes the ear, and heals the man anew,
I look around and realize those with us are now few.
The crowd moves in and takes him, and I flee the scene,
I turn to watch and follow them, I must say that I had seen.

They take him to be judged of Annas the high priest,
They strike and mock and scorn him, like some wild beast.
A woman stops me at the door and asks if I know him,
I shake my head and walk on past, my hope now growing dim.

They take him now to Caiaphas, the other of the priests,
I take a seat by the fire, many here due to the feasts.
A woman comes to me and says surely you were with him,
I deny and shake my head, his chances looking slim.

They laugh and beat and mock him, since two witnesses they found,
'Tis blasphemy; they beat him, and gather 'round like hounds.
A man comes to me and says, this man was with him too!
I deny and yell at him some curses, we old sailors know a few.

Just then I turn and hear the rooster, crowing in the night.
I look back to the scene, the most one sided fight.
He looks at me through all the crowds, the beatings and the pain,
His words, they echo in my mind, my grief burns in my veins.

His eyes... they look through me, they pierce my very heart,
Just a moment our gazes lock, and to water my eyes start.
I cannot bear to see the holy sorrow in his face,
And so I turn and break away and run far from that place.

I run away and don't look back, as midnight shadows creep,
I fall down onto the earth and just begin to weep.
He knew it, and he told me so, and I denied him thrice,
And he stayed there where I left him so that he might pay my price.