Jessica's poem

The Rich Man and Lazarus

(A "Found Poem" based on Scripture)
There once was a rich man
dressed in purple and fine linen
and living in luxury every day.
At his gate was laid a beggar,
Lazarus, covered in sores
and longing to eat what fell
from the rich man’s table.
The time came when the beggar died
and angels carried him to Abraham’s side.
The rich man also died and was buried.
In Hades, where he was in torment,
he looked up,
and saw Abraham far away
with Lazarus by his side.
So he called to him,
"Father Abraham, have pity on me!
Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water
and cool my tongue,
because I am in agony in this place."
But Abraham replied,
"Son, remember that in your life time
you received your good things,
while Lazarus received his bad things
but now he is comforted
and you are in agony.
And besides all this,
between us and you a great chasm
has been set in place,
so that those who want to go from here to you
cannot,
nor can anyone cross over from there to us."
He answered,
"Then I beg you my father
send Lazarus to my family.
Let him warn them
so they will not come to this place of torment."
Abraham replied,
"They have Moses and the Prophets.
Let them listen to them."
"No Father Abraham," he said.
"but if someone from the dead goes to them
they will repent."
He said to him,
"If they do not listen
to Moses and the Prophets,
they will not be convinced
even if someone rises from the dead."