Stephen’s Gaze

My right molars shattered
And my scalp oozed with blood
My body was battered
Cleansed inside, my outside covered in mud

They huddled around me
Passed the cup to share the blame
Rage and gnashing of teeth
Directed at Jesus’s name—and fame

It took quite a while
And with many stones they missed
Hellish ebenezers formed a pile
As I waited for heaven’s kiss

I looked straight ahead
Through a hole in the sky
As stones smacked my head
I looked Jesus in the eye

The crowd saw red
But I saw white
I fell, but not dead
I’m in paradise tonight.