PART I
The people were dispersed;
their gods, reproduced
with whims and needs to countervail.
And mankind placating,
striving and begetting
to the hum of grandfather’s tales:
“Recall gardens bowered,
a flood and a tower,
and a lost angry God long ago.
Recall Adam and Eve's
temptation with two trees,
then taking what all want to know.
"Remember blood-sewn skins
for shame, which they hid;
then shameless first murder from spite.
Recall boasts perverse
of butchery far worse,
making might the meaning of right.
"Recall the rain rising
reducing and teaching
God-fear: the urge to reach Heaven.
So they religion built,
united to clear guilt,
schisming our gods' to fruition."
So said Nahor to sons
of sons who might've run
their gods' rituals—blood and grain—
fore'er, save God interposed
with words that transposed
the old ways of fear and pain.
PART II
“Abram," began an unknown god.
"Leave behind family.
Come away, follow me.
I'll show you the lands far abroad
which one day you'll possess.
And through you, I will bless.”
But then need suggested Egypt.
And great wealth impelled Lot's
departure with his flocks.
Through ruse from fear, Abram gained much.
Through herdsmen's butting strife,
Abram found sep'rate life.
“Abram," said the god of him.
"Now here, lift up your eyes.
Behold this, a great prize
for your innumerable kin.
Walk the lines of its breadth;
measure its boundary width.”
But first this kinsman redeemer
would rescue nephew Lot,
and although he took naught
a mite for troubles as plunder,
Abram gave that priest-king
a tenth of plundered things.
“Abram," said god of promise-words.
"I'm your righteous portion
and also protection."
"How so?" Abram had to infer.
"I will do it," god said,
"through blood and severed-death."
“So this I promise, so do I swear
like sand upon the shores
your children will be more.
But before this, they'll go elsewhere
for four hundred years
of labor, sweat, and tears.”
"Then by spread lamb's blood and a death-
plague wrought, I will bring them
Out with rich plunder from
Cursed-land to take to land-blessed.
All you, Abram, took not
I will give and they'll get."
PART III
Now aged Sarai, thinking fast
offered up a womb from Egypt.
This breached the family order.
But even then, his god, a see-er,
Named Ishmael a blessed divergent
And gave nonentities a face.
“It is I," said God Almighty.
"Now you will be called Abraham,
Father of circumcised nation,
But not through Hagar will your son
come, but Sarah'll bring forth the lamb
the promise child, God's protégé.”
Then to confirm His promises,
three men came by that nomad's tent.
He served up hospitality,
despite wife's unavailability,
perhaps for chance bleeding in tent
where vertile-ness was humorous.
And as men departed, God seems
to invite Abraham's appeal
to save Lot's seedy life from fire.
Such a rescue entrenched in a mire
of sin begot two peripheral
nations and future kin to redeem.
Next an encore of deception:
The old wife-as-sister costume
this time performed in Negev
where God confirmed Himself as head
of gods by closing pagan wombs
and keeping pagan king from sin.
At last the promised child is born.
Again Hagar leaves from jealous hurt.
Still Abraham's blessings far reach.
God gives hope and water to each.
And rivals parched in the desert
find gifts of peace from their neighbor.
“Abraham," said God. "Here I am,"
he answered back. "Take this, your son,
your only one and sacrifice
him like the pagan's blood rites.
This last act of faith must be done
So your offspring know who I am."
"I'm the one who loves all creation.
I'm the God who brings people out.
I am giver despite your deceit.
I ask much and then I complete.
I'm the lamb, in this have no doubt.
I'm the blessing through you to the nations."
Though the faithful are dispersed,
their God would reproduce
His holy character in us, entailed
through Christ's appeasing,
striving and begetting
to the beat of the Creator's new tale.
Abby's Alley is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
