Two souls aloft on timbers high,
Beneath the brooding, darkened sky.
One to the left, one to the right,
Both nearing their eternal night.
The first thief, eyes alight with scorn,
Cursed the King in crown of thorn.
A life misspent, in vice entwined,
No love for glory, just the blind.
His lips dripped poison, bitter taste,
He chose his sin, a life to waste.
Though kingdom’s light was close at hand,
He turned away, refused the land.
The second thief, in contrast lay,
His eyes as night turned into day.
He saw his sins like heavy chains
That Christ could break, releasing pains.
He’d rather curse his wretched self,
And all his prior earthly wealth.
Than dare deny this King beside,
Whose very words made seas divide.
His soul ablaze, an inward yearn,
To see the King in glory return.
A reign unmarred by human flaw,
A vision pure, without withdraw.
He cared not for his earthly stain,
If Christ alone would ever reign.
His final thought, a humble plea,
“O King, remember even me.”
For one, the night would never end,
His soul in darkness, not to mend.
For other, night gave way to day,
In Christ’s own light, the only way.
Two thieves, two choices, worlds apart,
A lesson still for every heart.
In life’s brief span, each soul must choose,
A path to glory, or one to lose.
“O King, remember even me.”
-Anonymous
