The Repentant Criminal Poem by Boston Kelley

I am a lowly wretch, a despicable thing;
Do not look at me and let me remember my failures;
Unbearable they are like flies buzzing about my head;
Their unpleasant odor and hideous sight offend me
And I swoon in remembrance of them.

Who can redeem this detestable soul?
Where must cleansing be found for such a dirty rag?
They bear upon with the earth's terrible weight;
My knees buckle under the strain.

Cover me with darkness or hurl me down to Tartarus,
So my sin and I shall be unseen.
Lonely was I that I became weak;
Foolish was I that I chose sensual pleasures;
Guilty was I that I desired to be punished;
Grief-stricken was I that I wanted redemption.
Step forth and erase my crimes;
Come forward and wash me clean;
Do not hold my failings against me
Lest I die as a payment for those many wrongs.

A Savior I ask to remove my iniquities;
This torn man awaits the redemptive touch.