Except I shall see in his hand the print of the nails,
and put my finger into the print of the nails,
and thrust my hand into his side,
I will not believe.
So much happens so fast once you get outside the city limits.
Three men to be crucified and raised up to view.
The crowd stands back,
nervous to the point of laughter.
Where are the friends that followed him?
There's one.
And there are the muffled women.
The nail sinks into flesh,
descends through tendon, bone, wood.
And another.
And another, and the rich, ferrous smell of blood.
The man knows what he's doing.
This will hold.
'If you are the Messiah, get down from your cross,'
cry the priests and the officials.
'If you're the Messiah, save yourself and us,'
Gestas says out of the corner of his mouth.
Ego clamavi,
quoniam exaudisti me, Deus:
inclina aurem tuam,
et exaudi verba mea.