To Have The Power To Hurt Poem by Gert Strydom

(after William Shakespeare)

To have the power to hurt and not to do so
when you yourself receive blow after blow
is a Godly kind of virtue, a grace beyond grace
when in adversity someone does colours show

and sheer wickedness is on a face
as an action done nothing can erase
and to have pity, to jump to conclusions slow
is with normal mortal man not commonplace

and not to act at someone else's expense
holds a divine kind of excellence,
when he or she is running riot over you
and to be fair and great and good in every experience,

to be constantly to the omnipotent Lord true
is something that a God fearing person does do

[Reference: "Sonnet 94 They that have power to hurt and will do none" by William Shakespeare.]