HE IS RISEN  Excitement rings in the air The wrath of the father subsided Son of man is glorified And hope in Him alone is found Alleluia! He is risen All fears stilled And all strife ceased For every burden on Him was laid Son of man wore mortal flesh Scorned and rejected by the ones He came to save The scripture is fulfilled Alleluia! He is risen Bursting forth in glorious day All from the grave He arose Standing forth in victory No more guilt in life Nor fear in death Neither is there any condemnation This is the … Continue reading A Poem by Princess Joy | He is Risen Issue 11 | PAROUSIA Magazine   

 Stumbling to Standing “And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen…” Matthew 28:7a KJV O how we’ve hurt Him! O how we’ve hurt Him! We bound him and took Him from praying in the garden… where drops of blood were falling, descending, from His tender brow, as He was interceding! As He was pleading for the strength for enduring: the scoffing, the whipping, the bleeding… the lying, the crowning of thorns, the plucking of His beard, so His face was no longer recognized, as His face—this face that looks upon us with love, although we have denied … Continue reading A Poem from Jessica Renee Dawson | He is Risen Issue 11 | PAROUSIA Magazine

The Torch of Freedom Sin gives a receipt of death: Death laid in hell, sin unleashed the dormant terror to combust man to ashes. It drenched an eternal gulf, & detached man from his source. The adversary hosted a victory party, & held men in perennial captivity through the threat of death – Holding Adam’s race by the jugular. Because death must suffer defeat, For man to wear the robe of liberty: The author of life must pass through the agony of death. So,the Father planted his only Son Like a seed to the depth of the earth; To suffer … Continue reading A Poem by Olaewe David Opeyemi | He is Risen Issue 11 | PAROUSIA Magazine

RISEN God the almighty, all sufficient one In ceaseless compassion for the world, made the incarnate one Set to bring the fallen lost man unto himself Wore man’s frail body, overshadowing his divine glory GOD, The son – like a mortal walked the ancient’s streets of Jerusalem In near and far coasts he healed those who owed their lives to the devil Teaching on their holy mountains and in their sacred temples He opened his lips and uttered words their slow heart couldn’t grasp So they couldn’t rest till they had him in their grasp. Tried unjustly, not by custom … Continue reading A Poem by Agabielesin Kehinde Anthony | He is Risen Issue 11 | PAROUSIA Magazine

With a Kiss With a kiss he was betrayed, beaten and slapped as a sign that he’s denied and rejected, a man to be unaccepted and mocked and scourged, a man accompanied with blows sickening him and making his brows a broadcast to the people. He was dragged to death to give us a faith in the truth of life through changing seasons and feelings making up persons to never misguide but guide.   Arisen With thorns, he was crowned and painful piercings dawned throes and tears though the hours of woes underpinned by foes whose orchestrations failed. Jesus is … Continue reading Two poems from Inalegwu Omapada Alifa | He is Risen Issue 11 | PAROUSIA Magazine

    parousia (the second coming) there are no shades of grey colors only heighten loss their vibrancy mocking us black and white govern here in the promised country sunrises and sunsets hold no philosophies they are the abacus of lives counting down the days of our leasehold the air drones with myriad sounds all the same- we are one voice our temples bursting on the sabbath pharmacies the rest of days there is wealth and poverty but gold has no power it can only delay not banish our common inheritance we do not boast of achieving entrance and would … Continue reading A Poem from Joseph A Farina | He is Risen Issue 11 | PAROUSIA Magazine

The Three Holy Days The foretold day ran closer Hands of time swinged faster The sacrifice knew the day Propitiation life to pay Called for rites of feast Ritual offering by the high priest An entrance to the open square Preparing ransom for all sphere The unblemished lamb Like ram led to the tomb Slain and blood split Painful oblation complete The new day is dawning What’s happening? Great silence hovers over the earth Warrior slept beneath the sand Underneath fought an ancient for With scars head to toe Now there’s share of rejoicing Life’s laid to life raising. BIOGRAPHY … Continue reading A Poem from Godstime Nwaeze | He is Risen Issue 11 | PAROUSIA Magazine

Absolute Absolution When Jesus could barely carry the burden of His own Body, He shouldered the weight of the world. Countless crimes since the beginning of time huddled into every cell of Himself. Pain bombarded His bones, but even with the sting of sweat, stringing beads of blood and sizzling skin, He could not hide the love in His eyes, absolving all our sin.   Memories I. I almost forgot that tall pine, rising, just beyond the fence. With such a panoramic view of palms and pines and pink bushy blooms of bottle brush, I failed to see the tree’s … Continue reading Three Poems from Mary Harwell Sayler | He is Risen Issue 11 | PAROUSIA Magazine

My Lord, What a Morning        “Let my arms be as your branches         yours the song that must be sung…”                                                                        -from Crux Fidelis   Three days ago I inhaled the incense of the third hour, stoked myself up like a fire hungry for kindling wood. And I approached with crooked knee, genuflected, and touched the wood of the cross. … Continue reading Two Poems from Marianne Peel | Easter 2019