A Forgiveness
“That curse shall be Forgiveness!”
Byron’s Childe Harold
Forgive? Yes,—but I cannot forget,
For the deathless Soul is strong,
And God himself can never efface
Its memory of a Wrong;
And though you are dead and laid in your grave
And the evil you wrought is done,
Though your lips are cold in the covering mould,
Yet your dastard Lie lives on!
Forgive? Yes,—but I cannot forget
The merciless, murderous thrust
Of your treacherous hand with its backward blow
When you killed my whole life’s trust;
Craving my pity, you broke my heart
And slandered my name and fame,—
By the Christian creed, I forgive you, coward!
Let the pardon be your shame!
Forgive? Yes,—as the Christ forgave
When the Judas kiss was given,
And Hell suck’d down the traitor’s soul
While his curse was pronounc’d in Heaven!
Nothing so low, and nothing so base
As a stab in the back of a friend,
And those who saw you handle the knife
Scarce wonder’d at your end!
Forgive? Yes,—my forgiveness shall burn
On your grave in “coals of fire,”—
It shall kindle into a flame and leap
To the height of my life’s desire,
It shall reach straight up to the gates of God,
And there like a Sword shall stay,
And, lest you come sneaking out of Hell
It shall bar your heavenward way!
It shall warn you off with the lightning flash
Of an honest faith betray’d—
It shall shut you out from the garden of God,
And hold you back afraid,—
Like a torch of terror adown your dark
Its endless flare shall shine,
And spread like a widening gulf of fire
Between your spirit and mine.
Forgive? Yes—but I shall not forget!
I shall keep your name in my prayers,
That God may remember as well as I
The infamous taint it bears!
I forgive—I forgive! But I shall not forget;—
And as long as the great worlds roll,
My forgiveness shall be as the seal of doom
Fired down upon your soul!