Above him, yet he sees him not, there bends
Compassion and Divinity in one,
The Christ of time, earth, heaven and the sun,
Of the soul's soul, and all that upward tends.
In His right hand he holds a crown of thorns,
Sorrow's own symbol, and the other lies
Almost upon him, while behind him mourns
His better angel with entreating eyes.
Thou toiler after things that will not live!
Look but once upward, that thy soul may see
The sadden'd splendour of that glorious face,
Then lift thyself against that hand, and give
Thy better angel one sweet tear to place
Within the very sight of God from thee.