Welcome to Word Play Wednesdays!
Word Play Wednesday is a weekly feature of written and spoken word poetry. I will be sharing my written and spoken word poems in addition to poems by other like minds. If you are interested in sharing some of your poetry, feel free to buzz me and we can work something out.
I hope that you enjoy reading and listening to our thoughts, feelings and rants and in many ways relate to some of them.
Today’s poem represents one of my first inspirations to start writing poetry. Among the classics, encyclopedia and variety of books my parents kept in our home library for my siblings and I to read were also a few poetry books which I had taken to reading but not until I was 9 years old when I was asked by my teacher to recite “King David’s lamentation over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan” offhand at the school’s end of year party that I fell in love with writing and reciting poetry. I find myself reciting this poem in my mind from time to time for I have never forgotten the words. Most importantly, it is taken from my favorite book, The Bible.
How Are The Mighty Fallen! 2 Samuel 1: 19-27
The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places:
how are the mighty fallen!
Tell it not in Gath,
publish it not in the streets of Askelon;
lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
Ye mountains of Gilboa,
let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you,
nor fields of offerings:
for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away,
the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.
From the blood of the slain,
from the fat of the mighty,
the bow of Jonathan turned not back,
and the sword of Saul returned not empty.
Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives,
and in their death they were not divided:
they were swifter than eagles,
they were stronger than lions.
Ye daughters of Israel,
weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet,
with other delights,
who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!
O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.
I am distressed for thee,
my brother Jonathan:
very pleasant hast thou been unto me:
thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
How are the mighty fallen,
and the weapons of war perished!
Copyright © Biyai Garricks
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