Pilate’s Cogito
What is truth? said jesting Pilate.
[Go! Claudia, Wait in the wings!
I’m dealing with important stuff
Here, talking to this king of kings!
I’m talking to this king of kings!
He’s telling me a thing or two,
About the starry skies and stuff,
How he, like, made the Cosmos bright,
And, I’m about to call his bluff,
You see, about to call his bluff!]
So, tell me, Jesus, Lord of Lords,
While I write your iconic sign,
To nail upon your heavy cross,
Just why my post I should resign!
Just tell me why I should resign!
You’ve got my mind a bit upset,
You seem to be a careful man;
Innocent of Kingdom’s desires,
Innocent of an unjust plan!
Not guilty of an unjust plan.
So here we are, iconic man;
I’ll give this robust crowd a choice:
Barabbas, thief, unsavory beast,
Or Jesus on a cross to hoist?
Someone will die given this choice!
We’ll nail someone with this good choice!
Behold the man, I said to them;
I wash my hands of this whole mess!
It stinks of sulphur, fire and sin,
My conscience clear, I must confess,
My conscience clear of this whole mess!
They chose Barabbas? Holy Hell!
Scourge Jesus then, good soldiers true,
Nail Him fast to that bloody cross;
Scourge His back till His blood’s like glue!
Let’s see then who will cry, All hail!
Lord of the cross, the thick iron nail,
Lord of the cross, who’ll cry All Hail?
America’s Song: A Horse with no Name
[Listen on U-Tube]
[I do not know why I put the words here; I like the song; it gallops through my head, off and on all day, especially the refrain! It felt right too! So, I guess I do know.]
On the first part of the journey I was looking at all the life There were plants and birds and rocks and things There was sand and hills and rings The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz And the sky with no clouds The heat was hot, and the ground was dry But the air was full of sound I've been through the desert On a horse with no name It felt good to be out of the rain In the desert, you can remember your name 'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain La, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la After two days in the desert sun My skin began to turn red After three days in the desert fun I was looking at a river bed And the story it told of a river that flowed Made me sad to think it was dead You see I've been through the desert On a horse with no name It felt good to be out of the rain In the desert, you can remember your name 'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain La, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la After nine days, I let the horse run free 'Cause the desert had turned to sea There were plants and birds and rocks and things There was sand and hills and rings The ocean is a desert with it's life underground And a perfect disguise above Under the cities lies a heart made of ground But the humans will give no love You see I've been through the desert On a horse with no name It felt good to be out of the rain In the desert, you can remember your name 'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain La, la, la, la, la, la
Image: Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man"), Antonio Ciseri's depiction of Pilate presenting a scourged Jesus to the people of Jerusalem
Image: Claudia Procula, Pilate’s wife [perhaps]; Greek icon of Saint Procla (Hagia Prokla)
