Take Me to the Tomb

by on March 30, 2024

When all hope is smothered by dark despair,
And shadows have swallowed the last of my light,
Then take me to the tomb and leave me there;

To sit in somber silence and to stare,
To search for a sacred sign in the night,
When all hope is smothered by dark despair;

And my chest constricts as I gasp for air,
Desperate for my faith to become sight,
Then take me to the tomb and leave me there;

Weeping and wounded in need of repair,
A bird with no song, no feathers, no flight.
When all hope is smothered by dark despair,

It is the one place for respite and care.
When I no longer have strength for the fight,
Then take me to the tomb and leave me there.

Into its void I will cast my prayer,
For the man who is missing knows my plight.
When all hope is smothered by dark despair,
Then take me to the tomb and leave me there.1

Notes

  1. The line, “take me to the tomb and leave me there,” is adapted from a prayer in The Valley of Vision. The prayer entitled Man A Nothing, ends with the line, “then take me to the cross and leave me there.” I loved the sound and feel of that line, but as I was writing an Easter poem, I wanted to focus on the empty tomb instead of the cross. See Arthur Bennett ed., The Valley of Vision (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1975), 167.

© Andrew Menkis. All Rights Reserved.

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    Post authored by:

  • Andrew Menkis
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    Andrew is a Theology & Rhetoric teacher with a passion for helping others see and experience the truth, beauty, and goodness of God and his creation. Andrew’s poetry and prose has been published by Core Christianity, The Gospel Coalition, Modern Reformation Magazine and Ekstasis. You can find more of his writing at andrewmenkis.com.

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