Jeff Kyser Poet Rhyme

Say, Satan

Forty days and forty nights
without a bite to eat!
And then this dude comes strolling by
with offers pretty sweet.
I guess he thinks it’s going to work
Like earworms in my head.
I’m talking with my Father here;
He’s planting thoughts of bread.
Instead
He’s planting thoughts of bread.

Say, Satan, for a guy so smart,
You say things pretty odd!
The temporal does not sustain,
Not like the word of God!
Like young chicks helpless in a nest
Cared for by mother bird,
Nourished directly from her mouth,
So God gives us his word.
His word.
So God gives us his word.

And then the nerve! He hauls me off
And takes me to the temple.
Says, “Jesus, you’re the Son of God;
This one is really simple!”
He wanted me to just leap off,
To base jump to the ground.
Said, “God has got his angels here
And they won’t let you down!”
Just jump!
And they won’t let you down!

Say, Satan, don’t you ever read?
You need to crack that book!
I know it’s probably been a while;
You ought to take a look.
For if you had been listening,
You probably could have guessed.
It’s not for us to test the Lord,
No, He gives all the tests.
Not us
No, He gives all the tests

But still he tries the bribe again, 
Thinks third time is the charm.
He takes me to a lofty place
And sweeps wide with his arm.
Says, “All of this I give to you,
A gift to you from me.
The only thing you’ve got to do:
Fall down and worship me!”
Fall down!
Fall down and worship me!

Say, Satan, have you lost your mind?
You’ve really got some nerve!
The Book says, “Worship God alone;
Him only shall you serve!”
I know that we’re not done just yet,
But let’s call it a day.
Your offers: easy to refuse. 
No thanks, now go away!
No thanks!
No thanks, now go away!

(From Matthew 4)

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Gershon Wolf February 13, 2022 at 8:35 PM Here's a thought for you, based on your poem: The letters of the word for 'bread' ('lechem') in Hebrew are the same as those for the word 'he fought,' or 'he warred.' Just as war is a 'joining of forces,' so is eating also a war -- the body contending with the spirit... Better that eating complement the spirit, but it's a tough war! This is not my thought. It's that of a a Chasidic Rabbi who's pen name was 'Sefas Emes.' ('Lips of Truth.') ~ Gershon (fighting all the way through dinner). Jeff Kyser February 14, 2022 at 6:46 AM Wow, that's very interesting! I have been studying a little of the koine greek and I feel like we miss so much in English, an I have suspected the same is true of the Hebrew. Thanks for sharing!