Uriah Welcomes His Step-Son Into Sheol
2 Samuel 11:2-12:18
Your father stole your mother from my breast —
he spied her while out strolling on his roof
and saw her in her nakedness, undressed
while bathing, reckless of his lust.
My loyalty was soon put to the proof,
a soldier under orders, as I must
obey my Lord. Abandoned in my trust,
an arrow pierced my breast, a lance my side,
and so it was I came to rest in dust.
In fighting for your father — so I died.
A prophet gave your father a reproof,
a promise you too soon would find your rest;
you died a few days after your first breath.
Come, greet your foster father here in death.
Tobias Stanislas Haller BSG
January 22, 2011
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2 comments:
It's a wonderful poem, Tobias. I'm curious as to why Uriah and David's son came to mind as subjects for a poem.
Thanks, Mimi. As is usually the way with poems when the come upon me, it was the image of the final couplet that started it all. I would make a poor "poet laureate" as I would find it hard to write a poem to order.
It did seem, in retrospect, that Uriah is a bit of an unsung hero, apart from Nathan's beautiful parable, to which I made oblique reference at the end of the previous post. Maybe that's what got my mind rolling...
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