Welcome back to the Daily Poem here on the Close Reeds Podcast Network.

I'm David Kerr.

Today's poem is by Charles Cosley.

He was a Cornish poet who lived from 1917 to 2003.

He was also a schoolmaster and writer.

And if you go to the UK, you can see the school where Cosley was a teacher and a pupil.

He was both a student and a teacher at the school. It is in a place. I'll obviously going to butcher this,

but it's called Launston, I believe. It's in Cornwall. So a quaint little school.

You can look them up on Wikipedia.

You can see what that school looks like.

We don't make schools like this in America anymore.

But the poem that I'm going to read today is called I am the Great Son.

And it begins with a little epigraph that says, from a Normandy crucifix of 1632.

Goes like this. I am the great son, but you do not see me. I am your husband, but you turn away.

I'm the captive, but you do not free me. I am the captain, but you will not obey.

I am the truth, but you will not believe me.

I am the city where you will not stay.

I am your wife, your child, but you will leave me.

I am that God to whom you will not pray. I am your counsel,

but you will not hear me. I'm your lover whom you will betray. I am the victor,

but you do not cheer me. I am the holy dove whom you will slay. I am your life. But if you will not name me,

seal up your soul with tears and never blame me."

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