Tuesday, May 18, 2010

En Gedi


Pools spilling into pools
  sweet water falling
painting one valley green 
around dead sea where
 nothing but minerals grow
 hiding place  
 easy camouflage
for hardened mighty men 

caves make shade for 
weary King 
looking for trouble

asleep
he's unaware
of noble hand holding
back knife 
taking only
 cloth from his robe
instead of his life


The Random Acts of Poetry prompt over at High Calling Blogs was to go to an ancient place. Egypt, China, India, Rome, Greece. 

We have been to Israel a few times. Also, Petra in Jordan. These places allow you to breathe the very air of history. 

Touching a stone where a sandaled foot might have touched..... 

Swimming in the Galilee with the same sunrise coming up over the Judean hills as Peter saw during breakfast on the shore. 

Hiking up the green oasis of En Gedi was my favorite thing. The majesty and poetry of the Psalms will never be the same for me. 

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

you really get around

Glynn said...

You see the setting for the David and Saul story - and then read the story here -- and it makes all the difference.

Maureen said...

I especially like the last stanza, the picture you create.

If those hills could talk. . . .

Joyce Wycoff said...

Kathleen ... there is a magic that happens when words and images come together as beautifully as this. You are a magician.

Louise Gallagher said...

I agree with Joyce -- definitely magic. Definitely a magician creating wonder out of words and images.

Anonymous said...

Oh how wonderful. My husband's dream vacation is to the Holy Land-- I'm thinking our twentieth anniversary might be the right time. ;) (Just ten more years, right?)

S. Etole said...

You took me there and helped me see ...

Lyla Lindquist said...

That's when you realize, this really happened. Real guys, real stories, real life.

L.L. Barkat said...

I like that part about the Psalms. Yes, what a privilege to see what David may have seen.

Laura said...

One of my favorite Bible stories! It sings here.