July the twenty-fifth, - St. Christopher-
Protector Patron of the TRAVELER!

The legends say he was of lowly strain,
Looked down upon by people with disdain,-
A tribe held in contempt, cursed, held in scorn:
"Have naught to do with those so lowly born"!
Yet to increase his misery on earth,
"Reprobus" they did name him at his birth;
The tribe Reprobus sprang from was accursed,
But Lo!- his given name he felt was worst.

He suffered, was depressed, and felt the sting
Of his own name and its forbidding ring.
"Reprobus,- Outcast, Lawless, Reprobate!"
His future promised naught,- what cruel fate!-
Respect and honor he could never claim-
Wherever he went or dwelt he felt the shame,
The curse and burden of his heinous name,
Which would forever more remain the same;
He sought a strong man who could boost morale,
To serve him and thereby forget it all.

He hired himself out to a strong king,
Who thought the giant would great profits bring,
Seeing his prowess and his titan build;
What splendid champion! - and thus he willed
To hire him at once without regard
Of lowly birth as his first bodyguard.
His jester, - foolishly- spoke the word "devil",
while jesting late one night, (he'd meant no evil),
The king then crossed himself and it was clear
To Reprobus that his great king felt fear.

"O king!- you deem the devil to be stronger
Than others and yourself, thus I no longer
Can serve you, but shall Master Devil seek;
I will not serve a master that is weak".
"Who knows, oh king, I even might enjoy
This feisty Master Diabolus' employ!"
He found the devil at the desert's rim,
And offered fealty services to him;
They were accepted,- Reprobus in all
Was forthwith at the devils back-and-call.

One day they came upon a wooden rood,
The devil dodged it uttering something lewd,
Then grimaced, smirked ,and stomped his cleft foot "pooh",
And winced before the rood he called "taboo".
"Are you afraid? Reprobus asked, with cheer,
A harmless rood it is, - you need not fear!"
The devil squirmed and then confessed at length
A Master Christus was superior in strength.
Who had defeated him upon a rood
In victory and triumph absolute!
Reprobus spoke: “A wimp I will not serve
A wimp! a wimp! so prone to lose his nerve..
Farewell, good-bye, good-bye, I'll serve no longer,
But seek that Master Christus that is stronger".

He wandered far and wide and passers-by
Told him a hermit had profound a tie
To that strong Master that was Christus named,
Who was supposed to have the devil shamed.
Reprobus trod the designated track,
And found the hermit praying in his shack,.
He’d wait and sit awhile upon the ground,
Then ask if Master Christus was around.
With pleasure would he his acquaintance make,
And gladly in his service orders take.

The monk looked up, and saw the stranger sit,
Expecting prompt employment right and fit,
Employment for an outcast alike him,
Would boost a healthy pride and self-esteem.
He was told “yes” - the Master could be seen,
While practicing stern spiritual discipline,
As doing without pillows on the cot,
And fasting for some weeks oft helps a lot.

"That's not for me", Reprobus quick replied,
I need strong food to do my work aright."
"Fare-well, good-bye",- Reprobus turned to go-
The hermit stopped him, - "pray don't hurry so!
To serve Him well there is another other way
To please the Master Christus any day.
A giant man like you dear friend could serve
Down by the dangerous river,- near its curve,
Its treacherous, and fjord-like and forbidding,
And on its banks poor passengers are sitting
Attempting passage, ah, so many drowned
Trying to cross by oar or swim the sound;

You friend, could help,- just do the people's bidding,
"Carry them over - to achieve your meeting."
Reprobus said: "with joy I'll do this thing
The passengers but have to firmly cling,
Onto my shoulders and embrace my neck,
And well enjoy their journeys forth and back".
A child’s game this,- they do not need to fear
What pleasant journey they will have and cheer!.

And thus he went and carried with good cheer
People across the fjord for many a year,
But late one day arrived a messenger,
Would he please carry one more passenger,
A little child, it waited by the boulders,
Reprobus fetched it, took it on his shoulders
And started heading for the other bank,
But mid-way, weighted, ever deeper sank.
The water turned tempestuous and wild,
And heavier and heavier grew the child,
The burden crushed, but he was onward hurled,
It felt as if he carried the whole world.



Reprobus could no longer tolerate
The little child's tremendous, awesome weight;
And when he reached the other bank at length
He had no prowess left, nor spunk nor strength,
He crumpled, spent, exhausted, without breath,
And hit the ground, prostrate and near to death;
He groaned: "Oh child what have you done to me?"
The little child spoke sweet and lovingly;
"Your shoulders carried for a while the world,
And so much more, - its Maker and its Lord."

Reprobus passed away and is no more
Since Christopher had carried Christ to shore.


© Elizabeth Dandy