Day 30

And now, here’s this year’s final (optional) prompt. In his poem, “Angels,” Russell Edson speaks of these spiritual warrior-messenger-guardians as if they were a type of endangered animal. Brief as it is, the poem is disorienting in its use of flattened diction, odd similes, and elliptical statements.

Today, try writing your own poem that discusses a real or mythical being or profession (demons, firefighters, demonic firefighters) with the same sort of musing yet dispassionate tone.

I’m not sure I managed a ‘dispassionate tone’, but this is my final offering for the month. Thank you those who kindly read and commented on my poems. Bless you.

Deborah¹

She was a prophetess – speaking the truth

to a people who had known it once,

who had welcomed and owned it,

but had become complacent and lazy,

Until she spoke with authority and woke them up,

Rousing them to a state of dignity and peace.

Who does that today?

Who speaks the truth with authority?

And who is left to recognises the wisdom?

—

She was a judge – appointed to govern, legislate

and divine justly, faithfully, among people.

Now politicians a plenty, echoing Pilate’s excuse:

‘What is Truth?’

Afraid of the people

Truth and justice forfeit and squandered

in political nonsense –

The blind leading the blind off the ramparts of reason,

afraid to speak with sanity, morality or common sense.

—

She was a warrior – courageously calling the men

and the women to put on their armour,

to stand up ready to be counted valiantly –

As a mother, she calls me

and you

to fight for dignity,

for truth,

and for justice.

Deborah, hold up your head and lead

let us fight for humanity’s freedom!

1. Judges Chapter 4 ↩︎