Elder Brother
All my life, I wish I was
I wish that I could be
I wish that I could mean as much
As my brother means to me
So graceful, humble, altruistic
So flawless in his ways
To be like him I said I'd try
To spend my mortal days
His shoes are those I cannot fill
I do my best to try
A noble thing to aspire to
As the years go by
That time, it was so long ago
Much longer than it seems
For I recount his selfless act
So often in my dreams
The law was broken by my hand
My king I did defy
The people gathered 'round and said
"This boy must surely die."
The law is just, I knew this truth
These moments were my last
I wept, and cringed, and stood to wait
For the first stone to be cast
I prayed for forgiveness to my God
For in minutes I would be dead
Just then my brother cried out, "Wait!"
Please take my life instead...
The crowd was shocked, they were amazed
But they agreed to his plea
For justice was not their desire
But wanted blood to see
I watched in horror as stones flew by
And smashed his gentle head
My brother crumbled to the ground
And lay there as he bled
I sobbed and cried, "Why did you die
To save my soul of sin?"
He looked at me with faint blue eyes
And said, "I would do it again."
His hand I held until it fell
Cold and lifeless to the ground
The air was chilled, the air was still
And nothing made a sound
If all my life had passed and gone
And things I learned no other
Than just one thing, I would learn to love
As could my elder brother