The Sacrifice of Isaac by Rembrandt (1635)

Set apart and lifted up
Placed upon a pedestal
An example for the world to see
Expected to excel in every endeavor
The beloved one, the exceptional child
Living out the dreams of so many others
And weeping when no one else sees
For being the sacrifice made for other’s failures
The substitution for their own failures
Expiation for their sins real and imagined
Caught in a life that was thrust upon him
And perhaps if he completes the journey to Moriah
Carrying the wood for his own pyre
There might be a sacrificial lamb caught in the bushes
Able to take his place
So that he might know laugher

Neil White, 2013