I recently had the pleasure or rather pain of transforming a passage from the Apocrypha in the bible to poetic verse. and like always i feel proud of my work...and hence i felt like sharing...read on folkz...its fun...and may god bless you today...
Susanna
A Babylonian was he;
Took a fair maiden from the house of Hilkiah did he
Joy!, Joakim wed Susanna.
Fair Susanna feared the Lord
Her parents taught her from Moses’ word;
Fame and fortune were of the world
Joakim had them, and a magnificent garden yard.
Honored was he by the Jews
The year when he came by the news
Of two judges, ancients who would give views
Wickedness was coming to Joakim’s house.
Problems were solved therein
The yard had a peaceful keeping
When the men left and sun had past
Susanna went there for a walk in the garden dust.
Men saw her not, but the elders did
And her did they crave in lust which well they hid,
Poisoned minds and turned eyes, from each other those wise vice
They covered their shame, and continued their dirty game.
They watched her till the day,
When one spake to the other and say
‘Let us part, for its supper hour’.
Came then back both dirty mind
Shared their words and made a find
Of an hour when they will see Susanna unwind.
The elders waited for a time fit.
It was a bright day with harsh heat;
Two maids followed Susanna only now
In the garden she wanted to wash her body and brow.
There was none but the elders hid,
The maids had heed to Susanna’s need
Of olive oil and ointment and shut the doors they did
They saw no one, as the elders were hid.
With the doors locked in the gardens deep
The elders rose and went with a leap
To Susanna they opened their lip
That with her they wanted to sleep.
She was spoken to with a threat
Of a young man that she had met
In the garden after the maids had left
The elders cautioned her of this, as she wept.
Susanna knew what was right
She told the elders that she could not escape their might
But she will not commit the sin
For the Lord lives in her heart within
Susanna cried aloud in sorrow
The elders screamed as if there was no tomorrow
One ran and opened the garden door
The servants gushed in on the garden floor.
The elders lied and spoke of sin
Which they said Susanna was in
The servants sighed and were ashamed
For never was Joakim’s wife blamed
The night had past and it was a day
People gathered at the house of Joakim to hear what the elders had to say
The elders called for Susanna and her death
Her parents, children and relatives came to hear her last breath
Delicate was she as a woman
Susanna’s beauty amazed every man
Ordered the elders for her veil to move
So they might enjoy her beauty and approve
Her friends saw tear roll her down her cheek bed
The elders stood up and put their hands on her head
She looked at the heaven for the Lord
The elders spoke their mischievous word.
‘She came in with two maids
After shutting the gates farewell she bade.
Then came a man, young and was hid
And mate with her, he did.’
We saw them and tried to hold
The young man was strong and bold
He ran through the open door
But we questioned Susanna on the garden floor
She refused to speak
About the young man who was sleek
These we testify
And thus we justify
People had faith in the judges
They condemned her to death for her charges
Susanna cried and spoke to the Lord
‘You know the secrets and you are the world,
You know they lied
And for that I will have died.’
The Lord heard her prayers
He sent a youth, Daniel to save her from the slayers
Daniel spoke with power
And stopped them to shed blood from Susanna the flower.
All the people turned and questioned
‘What mean these words that thou Daniel have mentioned?’
Daniel standing tall among them
Told them they were foolish sons of a gem
Israel!
Without examination or knowledge
They pushed a daughter of Israel to the edge.
They moved back to the old step
Daniel was asked to take on the case prep.
He said to the rest
Put these two aside while I perform a test.
The evil judges were put asunder one from the other
Daniel said to one but not the other
‘ O thou art waxen old in wickedness
Thy lied and were going to have Susanna disgrace
Your sins that you commit
I will now bring to the light
Lord will not have the innocent and righteous
Die from the lie of the murderous.’
Daniel, asked a question with a bait
Tell me which tree did you see them under; mate?
The answer:
‘A mastic tree!’
He had lied against his own head
Daniel told him he was dead
The angel of God hath received the sentence
To have cut the lying elder in two before repentance.
Daniel put this one aside and got the other
‘You are seed of Canaan and not of Judah
Deceived with beauty and lust
You have brought your honor to the dust.
You used fear with the daughters of Israel through fear
But the daughter of Judah will not become your dear.’
Daniel again asked a question with a bait
Tell me which tree did you see them under; mate?
The answer:
‘A evergreen oak!’
He had lied against his own head
Daniel told him that he too was dead
The angel of God hath received the sentence
To have cut the lying elders in two before repentance.
Everyone cried out with loud voice
God never harm the ones of his choice.
Lord saveth them that trust in him
They praised the Lord to the brim.
The judges now faced the people
For they lied and sent a ripple
Of anger and shame
The people followed the Law of Moses and put them to flame.
The innocent blood was saved that day
Susanna’s folks were no more in dismay,
Hilkiah and his wife praised the Lord
Joakim and all the kindred followed the word.
Susanna was pure and faithful
And everyone found Daniel, a judge honest and truthful.
