David & Goliath
And it came to pass that Philistia
and Israel waged war between them in
the Valley of Elah, where a compromise
was agreed to (one on one)
with the spoils of war
forfeited to the victorious.
And so, Saul asked, “How many behind me?”
And his general replied,
“With the Lord on our side,
there’s no need to count,
but there is one,
a shepherd willing to sacrifice his life.”
And so stepped forth David
clad in sheepskin, supporting a staff,
and Saul (grasping at straws) said,
“Dress the boy at the Lord’s behest,
and let it be known throughout Israel,
no greater hero is found.”
But David rejected Saul’s armour
and went out with a pouch of stones
and a sling to meet Goliath
and smote the Philistine,
and all Israel rejoiced,
for the Lord was on their side.
***
Reference:
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 17:1-58
the first
tongue
you tasted;
nay!
the pounding
of heart
that followed—
guile or guilt?
you,
a farmer
and each till,
a harvest
of naive torsos;
philistia.
angels hatting nurses' cap
tumble
in hills
popping sounds,
grenades
through tunnels
playgrounds,
scamper about
in red-wet-dripping
skirts
dancing to fear.
a little boy
of four
seated
in defiance
upon his
mother's remains
weeping
his last,
protesting
against God
and machines.
if only once
that the essence
of living
is the wastage
and passage
of time;
and that death,
a scattered form
of love,
is merely the sleep
of atoms.
**previously published in ArcPoetry.
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