Passion Redoublé (9)

Sonnet/Station No. 9 - Jesus Falls a Third Time.
A third time now, Christ falls this Passiontide.
A third time now, he drops, misunderstood.
A third time, our Hosannas are belied;
A third time he is crushed beneath the wood.
But dissed and mocked and scorned below its weight
Perhaps he thinks of you. And, pray, of me.
I come to tears that this might be the case.
Oh, Jesus! And you do this willingly!
Of course, he didn’t want to drink the cup.
They say he asked his dad to let it pass.
They say he even sweated drops of blood,
While peering through that dreadful looking glass.
Ah…Jesus knows the horror in the wings…
His garments stripped, the scornful laughter rings.