‘If I Could but Touch His Hem’: A Poem by Rohini Sunderam

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If I Could but Touch His Hem

—Mark 5:25-34

Forgive me, Lord, you know it’s true
That I have prayed twelve years to you,
To stop the bleeding and the shame
To live a normal life again.

And now there is this man I hear
From far-off Galilee he’s here.
The rumour goes that he’s Your Son.
Messiah, Christ, the chosen one.

According to the law it’s sin
To worship or bow down to him
For he is a mere mortal, Lord
I fear what will befall me, God.

May I beseech and pray to him?
Will you permit me, Lord this whim?
I had a dream the other night
You whispered, said, that it’s all right.

I know that it was just a dream
But palpable and real it seemed.
Do you still speak to folk like me?
And was this dream direct from thee?

It’s echoed in my head since then
All I need do is touch the hem
Of his cloak, and then…and then
I will be whole and clean again!

So here I am, dear precious Lord
A woman by her folk abhorred.
I’m inching closer with a prayer
To touch his hem, that I must dare.

The crowd around him gathers tight
I see his hem; I can’t lose sight.
It’s there, it’s there. The world’s gone still.
I see his hem, reach it I will!

Oh Lord, have mercy, my heart beats.
He’ll never know. I see his feet.
His hem, his hem, that’s all I need
And from the sickness, I’ll be freed.

I’ve touched it! Yes! His power flows through.
Dear God, He is your Son, it’s true!
I feel a rush, a healing rush
Flow straight through me. Now, there’s a hush.

“Who touched me?” Asks a gentle voice
I stand up then, I have no choice.
“‘Twas I,” I say, now fearing wrath.
I tremble, shake, I am distraught.

“I felt my power flow out,” said he.
Then turned around and looked at me.
The kindest eyes, I e’er did see.
My heart it thundered, furiously.

“‘Twas I,” I said again, head bowed.
Then stepped aside the milling crowd.
“Go forth,” he then said, soft to me,
“Your faith, pure faith has set you free.”

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Rohini Sunderam is author of Corpoetry – Desert Flower – Five Lives One Day in Bahrain published by Ex-L-Ence Publishing. She is a Canadian of Indian origin, and a semi-retired advertising copywriter. Find out more about her on her blog or on Amazon. 

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