Poets logo

At King David's Tomb

free verse

By Randy BakerPublished 4 months ago 1 min read
3
image generated by author using Midjourney

For a few shekels

the rabbi would light a candle

and offer a prayer of peace,

the exotic Hebrew phrases

bouncing softly off ancient stone walls

and pictures of stern men

shrouded in black robes and flowing beards.

.

I tossed my coins into the basket;

I, a gentile man, a military man

raised in the bosom of the Baptist church.

With eyes closed, I absorbed the words.

He could have been saying anything

for all my alien ears could fathom,

but everything sounds sacred in Jerusalem.

.

Tendrils of smoke carried my prayer

on its ascent to heaven.

I, indeed, felt at peace; felt a kinship

with David, his bones somewhere below,

dissolved into the dust. The Beloved of God,

King David; warrior, poet, sinner.

A Man After God’s Heart. A man like me.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Author's Note: This poem was first published in the chapbook, Beyond the Horizon: Journeys in Poetry and Prose, 2010]

Free Verse
3

About the Creator

Randy Baker

Poet, author, essayist.

Follow me on X

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments (2)

Sign in to comment
  • Mohammed Darasi4 months ago

    It's great how despite the difference in religion, a place of prayer always has this serenity about it, and you related that really well here 😊

  • Lindsay Sfara4 months ago

    This is heartwarming, and I really felt the spiritual presence and love in the writing. I love this, Randy!

Find us on social media

Miscellaneous links

  • Explore
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Support

© 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.