Best Jericho Poems
Ekphrasis on Album Cover Art – 3-28-25
Jericho Road – Written, sung, recorded by poet
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Thinking About Jericho Road
A road with no name, where earth births stillborn stones,
Snakes through stillness
Into a fading perspective that neither winks nor smiles
Not touching impotent palms of bleached fronds,
Colored in the scent of cold ashes,
To whisper a chorus of mystery
To saints and sinner
In shades of hard steel
And colors of monotony on this threadbare path.
Blank road devoid of thought,
A monorhyme of barren greys and dust
Without imagination,
Makes no covenants with curses or blessings
Kings or pilgrims
Or with the fragile flower
Changeless except to remain
One moment held by time, that knows each name,
Without a star, only an invitation for resurrection.
Categories:
jericho, allegory, journey, life, music,
Form:
Free verse
Deliberately inching its way toward break of day,
The morning sun begins to emblazon the barley field.
Relaxing and watching the orb find its way,
The lady of the house waits for night to yield.
Like every morning, she is seated there,
Enjoying the dew scented breeze on her veranda.
Feeling its coolness on her scalp while combing her hair,
And the warmth of the rising sun becoming grander.
Her mind wanders back to the city of her birth,
Just over the rise, beyond the barley field’s treasure,
Lies the city with the most famous name on earth,
Where, in her youth, she was a lady of pleasure.
To Rachab went all of Jericho’s possession,
By decree of God, for which Achan was stoned.
For this soldier could not control his obsession,
Though aware the city’s riches were God’s own.
With God’s grace, Rachab’s wisdom grew,
And she made the city’s outskirts her spread.
Her land into a field of grain did accrue,
A breadbasket from which hordes were fed.
Her hires were the finest laborers in the land
And were busy harvesting barley all spring.
She paid the very best wage to every man,
Cause her crop was the best early rains could bring.
The fields and glades, that gave her pasture form,
Seemed sensuous in every contour and rise.
At daybreak, contrasting tones were the norm,
Painted artfully by the brightening skies.
Mounds appeared convexly round breasts,
Lovingly sculpted over a span of human girth,
Whose beauty was able to put the heart to a test,
As the machinery of memory rotates the earth.
Babbling brooks flowed from shady nooks,
Giving refreshment to denizens of land and sky,
Producing a scene of green worthy of picture books,
That not one skilled artist would dare deny.
Gingerly she rose the doorway torch to quench,
Watching the shrinking darkness become shadows.
Rachab calmly returns to her veranda bench,
To observe butterflies dance above the meadows.
In her dreams, she envisions a more golden age,
When royalty would be attributed to her seed.
A zephyr flows over her mind turning the page,
But she still aspires the prospect of the throne to accede.
What a lovely story to behold just beginning to dawn,
Rising out yonder, just beyond the horizon of time.
How we yearn to see that age return, now long forgone,
So our hearts may once again be joyous and sublime.
Categories:
jericho, faith, happiness, history, inspirational,
Form:
Rhyme
I come whence I go the Lord alone knows like this wheel in the sky this a true rose without recognition rolling along done in the green Him alone life belongs in the dry what will be done prophesied weeping for love His children despised marred until latter rain received with one drop again we must first believe new life resurrection no longer weeds with a certain dwelling place which is free these three agree so are we in this earth drinking all we can until the new birth - by john Beam based on Anastatica The rose of Jericho. A resurrection plant is any plant with the habit of reviving after seeming to be dead or of seeming to revive when being in fact dead.
Categories:
jericho, allegory, death, faith, life,
Form:
Heroic Couplet
Blasphemy…cloud over their hearts of gold
Their value gradually diminishes…their weapons turn to mold
Serenity…deserted them and neglected them like orphans
Their joy rapidly wears out…they mislaid their abundant portions
They yearn,
“RESTORE the walls of Jericho!”
Anguish…shadows over their dwelling, sacred place
Their weaknesses manipulate them – they’re the definition of disgrace
Danger…defeats them and tarnished them as if they were worthless
Their prosperity shattered straightaway! REBUILD our merriness!
They plead and pray,
“Dona nobis pacem…”
Hear our hesitation and supplication…we’re beneath the bricks and remains
We’re buried alive literally! We’re becoming one with the ground
Fear and despair erases our soothing dreams…we’re getting washed away in the drains
We’re searching for shelter…we’re getting hunted down – we’re barely surviving
They churn…
They coil…
They drift away…
They spoil…
In their miseries…
Does He hear their pleas?
“SAVE ME!”
“Bestow blessings upon us!”
Are you ignoring us deliberately?
“Give us a helping hand
And lead us to the promise land!”
Misfortune unravels in this city of bafflement
Their strengths repaired our souls…we’re the definition of bravery!
Desolation and disbelief demolishes the walls of Jericho…
Does anyone sense their resentment?
Their charity transformed to greed suddenly –
Their lack of optimism and gratitude
Buried them down in captivity
How can you bear their poverty?
How can He save them from destruction and pity?
They whisper on His Holy Hill,
“Dona…Nobis…Pacem…”
Don’t let the battle overthrow ’em!
Categories:
jericho, adventure, angst, confusion, courage,
Form:
Rhyme
he told me she was stalking him
she'd taken photos of him secretly
but i said to him, like
the Buddy Holly song says,
it's so easy to fall in love
it's so easy to fall in love
it's so easy
it seems so easy
he
thanked me
for the
wisdom
Categories:
jericho, america, anger,
Form:
Free verse
july jericho
jubilation junebug joy
just joking
Categories:
jericho, 2nd grade, 3rd grade,
Form:
Alliteration
with one little drop living water washes death's sway no weed but a rose -Anastatica
Categories:
jericho, faith, flower, jesus, life,
Form:
Haiku
We were at a children's party
He told me about his ukulele
When he played in front of audiences
People would shout out, "Did it shrink?"
He worked as a chemistry teacher
To get this going he explained
A study he did with his students
In primary school
The comparative neuroanatomy and
Neurochemistry of zebrafish CNS systems of
Relevance to human neuropsychiatric diseases
Despite differences in the development of the telencephaion
I said, "Blimey"
He said "Yeah"
We high-fived and grabbed another beer
As he walked to the kitchen
I high-fived myself
I fist-bumped a Minion stuffed toy
Sat on the sofa
I was pleased with my mental well-being
Categories:
jericho, humor, humorous, hyperbole,
Form:
Free verse
Where silhouetted sentinels silently stand in vain
bleeding shades of layered shame on blight-lined highways below,
their ghostly shadows remind us of dreams we dared to drain.
Interred on unkempt plots, crumbling brick carcasses maintain
evidence we’re forced to see if the trails of traffic slow
where silhouetted sentinels silently stand in vain.
Rush-hour bottlenecks, the frustrated drivers’ daily bane,
exact tolls of tribute to hollowed homes lost long ago.
Their ghostly shadows remind us of dreams we dared to drain.
Daylight, drowned in the windowless dam of a plywood pane,
begs blackness, dwelling within abandoned walls, who’ll dare go
where silhouetted sentinels silently stand in vain?
Does the doll left naked on a spray-painted stoop remain
to testify children once played under its portico?
Their ghostly shadows remind us of dreams we dared to drain.
As darkness descends, the caravans of commuters wane,
leaving deserted the injured, desolate Jericho.
Where silhouetted sentinels silently stand in vain,
their ghostly shadows remind us of dreams we dared to drain.
Categories:
jericho, america, city, community, jobs,
Form:
Villanelle
Jericho Roads
By Mark Stucky
At the end of the rock-strewn road,
fell the walls surrounding Jericho.
Spared from destruction,
were a harlot’s people,
the family of Rahab,
Israel’s unlikely ally,
and unlikely ancestor
of peasants and kings
and the King of kings,
who came to save us all,
when our own walls fall
at the ends of our roads.
As Jesus walked the road,
leaving rebuilt Jericho,
a man who was blind
begged for mercy and sight.
Jesus healed his eyes
with love and kindness,
transforming
a beggar’s begging
into following
and praising.
In a parable Jesus told
of a lone sojourner
on that dusty road,
beaten and robbed,
left for dead,
but instead,
his life was saved,
not by religious men
coming from Jerusalem,
but by a despised Samaritan,
who showed mercy and love
where others provided none.
And for a stranger’s plight
he sacrificed to make things right.
Unlikely salvation
from unlikely sources
in unlikely places
for unlikely faces
may be found
on Jericho roads.
(First published in Spirit Fire Review, 23 May 2022. For background references to the stories, see Joshua 2-6, Matthew 1:5, and Luke 10:25-37, 18:35-43. See also my poems “Contested Crossroads" and "Life Labyrinths.”)
(Image by Valdemaras D. on Unsplash.com.)
Categories:
jericho, god, health, recovery from,
Form:
Free verse
Journey on Jericho Road
Shattered grace in jagged nights on the road to Jericho;
Ev’ry step and ev’ry breath are filled with shame
I know I am to blame;
I build a wall to hide my face so you can’t see
All the pain I’ve caused – all the misery
The blazing sun rushes in on waves - this wilderness knows my name
Shadows trip my ev’ry step – detours crosscut -
If only and yeah but….
I try to sneak behind my shame so you can’t see
The walls I build – no possibilities
On Jericho Road
Then your trumpet sounds
And all my walls fall down, Lord;
On Jericho Road
Where saints and sinners seek
And find their Savior.
My coat is gone. My soul grows thin. I shiver in the sunburned wind.
Dust blinds my eyes but I still reach to see
Milestones of hope guiding me
To shelters of your promise for the journey –
Resting place – oasis where you find me
My wind burned heart in shade can rest – grace restored in tenderness
No barriers and no blockades to your loving arms –
Fear displaced and disarmed;
Rising from the wells of souls - I finally see
Hope stands up, shouts “Gloria!” a guarantee
On Jericho Road
Then your trumpet sounds
And all my walls fall down, Lord;
On Jericho Road
Where saints and sinners seek
And find their Savior.
Song form AAB – AAB
Lyrics adapted from the song Jericho Road
7-9-20
Categories:
jericho, faith, hope, journey,
Form:
Lyric
Now Jericho, besieged by Israel,
Had shut its doors, and none went in or out.
The LORD told Joshua, “If you’ll believe,
We’re going to bring these walls down with a shout.
His mighty men of valor are inside;
The king of Jericho also awaits.
You and your men of war shall march around
The city once a day, outside the gates.
For six days, thus you shall just hold the line,
While seven priests before you bear the ark,
But on the seventh day, we’ll mix things up,
And march around the walls from dawn till dark.
Yes, seven times around we’ll go that day,
And all the time we will not say a word,
But when the final circuit is complete,
The priests will lift their horns and make them heard.
And when the people hear the trumpet sound,
They’ll shout a mighty shout with one loud voice.
This fortress, Jericho, will see its end.
The walls will simply fall; they’ll have no choice.”
Now Joshua was faithful to the LORD,
And honored Him by bringing this report,
But one can scarce conceive his fighting men’s
Response to battle planning of this sort.
But wonders also work in people’s hearts;
The plan unfolded as the LORD conceived.
For faithfully, the LORD had led His flock,
And so they heard their leader and believed.
So for the days that numbered one through six,
The vanguard, ark, and priests all went around,
Encircling the city with their march,
They made no noise except the trumpet sound.
The seventh day arrived; long was the march,
For seven times around those walls, they went,
And when the priests set lips upon the horns,
The host cried out: one voice without relent.
And lo, it came to pass just as God said;
The walls of Jericho fell, tumbled flat.
Devotion to destruction happened next;
We’ll have a bit more to say about that.
For God had looked on Canaan as a judge,
And found them guilty of a great offense;
They gave their children over to false gods.
Incensed, His wrath against them was intense.
And so, in handing over Jericho,
He gave to Joshua a harsh command,
“You must destroy, yes, every living thing
To rid the evil in this promised land.”
So Joshua then did as he was told;
The Canaanites, once giants, now ran scared.
But he made good; Rahab befell no harm,
And her entire house, he also spared.
(from Joshua 6)
Categories:
jericho, bible,
Form:
Iambic Pentameter
Scorn and war torn unjust misfortune dark and offensive human souls lifted,
master of deception denied ruler of perception cold and calculated all
righteousness eliminated. Empire of pain one hundred years of reign gospel
spoken never in vain fall of redemption roman conviction garden of Nero evils
spiteful hero.Chariot of damnation chaos receives a standing ovation the prince
of consequence tortured notation,the house of diabolos in the city of those
forever lost the angel banned for heaven's sake now takes the throne that faith
once owned. Archaic land now demonic by man the sacrificial lamb the untainted
blood of Abraham, in harlots role the rebellious must flow the judgement of
Yeshua in salvation told to sing the song of sin like Sodom and Gomorrahs end
the final destruction of Babylon cataclysmic paragon. From the ashes of vain a
new nation sprang as in likeness to Galilee once more the people shall be free.
Categories:
jericho, faith, peace,
Form:
Epic
The judgement of God
results from the sin of man
as the Lord's righteous rule
always is seen to stand
The fear of God
is the right response to God's law
so as Joshua obeys God's voice
The walls of Jericho become like straw
The love of God
perfectly casts out fear
as Rahab the prostitute
is mercifully given the all clear
The wisdom of God
is always the correct counsel
as Joshua realised at Jericho
when it leads us to God's perfect will
The Glory of God
was seen here in delivering Jericho
into the hands of Joshua
so to strike satin a defeated foe
poetgord
Categories:
jericho, bible, christian, faith, god,
Form:
Rhyme
At Moses’ death he was given command,
To lead God’s children into the Promised Land.
This people would continue on their way
To this land of promise, as God did say.
The shoes of Moses would be hard to fill,
But try, he must, and God’s will fulfill.
So across the Jordan to their first test,
They experienced that at which many would jest.
At Jericho they see a city fortified.
Tactics, they knew, would be severely tried.
Would Joshua’s planning a victory secure?
Of this they hoped, but were not completely sure.
As Joshua explained God’s plan for success,
They forfeited plans that they could suggest.
Their plan was logical to them, no doubt,
It would, however, leave God’s plan out.
They circled the city day after day,
Waiting for God, His power to display.
At the end of the week, after giving a shout,
The walls came down, the enemy was out.
Many lessons they at Jericho learned,
Victory was theirs, as they to God turned.
Questions were answered, doubts disappeared,
Now this enemy, they no longer feared.
Categories:
jericho, faith, god, city, god,
Form:
Rhyme