The poet G.K. Chesterton wrote one of my favourite poems: The Donkey.

As a little girl I used to love this poem for its reference to the animal itself, even though the first three verses seemed a bit scary to me. Then, as a youth, I came to appreciate the meaning behind the poem – the vindication in the final verse. The relevance the donkey claims with respect to Palm Sunday (my favourite Sunday in the church calendar) is powerful. No other animal was selected to be there when Jesus rode into Jerusalem to accomplish His Passion, Death and Resurrection, only the humble donkey.

Now, as an adult I visit a Donkey Sanctuary not far from my home town where I can see for myself the indelible cross placed on the animals’ backs.

My father once wrote as a footnote to a typed copy of this poem : “It surely cannot be mere happenstance that the donkey is the only creature of the animal kindom that is clearly marked with a cross on its back and front shoulders, thus” (and hand-drew a cross in black at the end of the comment). I believe he may have made a good priest or theologian.

The title may be simple, but this poem is complex.

The Donkey

When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then surely I was born;

With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil’s walking parody
On all four-footed things.

The tattered outlaw of the earth
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.

Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.

G.K. Chesterton