*_Mining for understanding*_
There is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?
No mortal comprehends its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living.
The deep says, "It is not in me"; the sea says, "It is not with me."
It cannot be bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold.
Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold.
____
Descriptive Poem: Job 28:1-2,12-19
Categories:
ophir, beautiful, life,
Form: Free verse
THE ISLANDS OF IMAGINATION
Our trek was in the mind, no ifs or buts :
Our trek was amongst the yards of trading estate factories.
First factory had piles of metal off-cuts -
Pick ‘em up with ease -
With brass or chrome machine parts imperial -
Gold and silver from the Indies’ isles.
Then the shirt factory’s end-of-run yards of material
And excess thread on huge bobbins, all styles -
Brocades and muslins from Ophir.
Tyre factory offered piles of sheet rubber to Zeus,
Aztec latex offerings to the gods of myrrh.
Factories like islands offering their exotic produce.
Between the factories rusty railtracks, the best,
With oceans of wildflowers for mum, more than enough.
Today’s computers find imagined treasure chests
On make-believe game islands…but we found real stuff.
………………………………………………………………….
Note….as boys we often went hunting thru the yards of factories collecting interesting stuff being thrown out
Categories:
ophir, childhood, imagination,
Form: Verse
There is a body stronger than the flesh alone
it is the body of your love, that temple built of desire's stone
quarried from the chaos of your erotic emotions, shaped by destiny's moan,
where neurotic nerves, psychotic passions, fanatical faith and romantic rose chrome
are imported from the four corners of your heart, brought to the mount of your soul zone
upon here, obedience and freedom, submission and domination chalk and chisel to the bone,
the flame of Shekinah seduces spirit within and without your psychic cyclone
as age becomes an aggregate of obsession's ascensions and avalanches in cycles for you to atone,
Egyptian magicians and Phoenician mariners could only dream of your pulsing fortune,
what do magic rites and the mines of Ophir have to entice with compared to your throne
Hiram, the builder of holy royal bastions would seek the secrets of your star storm home -
J.A.B.
Categories:
ophir, heart, history, magic,
Form: Didactic
Autumn's arrival, ushering once more a door His harvest moon ? Dressed of pure..
Gold honourable's daughter her queen from Ophir virgins these, companions; entering
The King's palace glorious ? Arrayed be beauty their children; ten billion stars as she sings
Rejoiced true hearts love's patriarch; timbrels and flutes a nomad whom knew ? In Winter's
Glittering lights an infant's eyes His harps her chorus; Angels ? Divine, besought time's rosy cheeks.
Categories:
ophir, angel, art, autumn, change,
Form: I do not know?
Tonight alone I dream of a distant star
That moved before I came
Ships across the seas by her flame
And camels where deserts scar.
Tonight I think of you I have not seen
And tell my heart go slow to love
Columbus sailed where no dreams have been
Noah's raven was lost, not his dove.
And what will you be to me
The raven haunting my door,
Or my caged heart cooing here evermore
Thou sweetest of all sweet poesy?
My body tired of lonely walls would break
The dividing boundary of the tide
And speak to the rock for your sake
Turn my eyes' water into bride.
But I am a Moses or Da Gama to command
I have no rod or ship to bring
And if perchance my fortunes sing
No treasures of Ophir would grace your hand
All my devotion in one sun would speak
To be the candle of your eyes
And hush your cares with patience meek
Undoing the memories of bruising lies.
Categories:
ophir, loveheart, heart,
Form: Verse