Who is this
youth, fresh from wooly fields,
Emissary
bearing bread and cheese
To trembling
troops in tented camp?
It had been
priorly said,
When a
skillful harpist was sought
To allay the
darkness of a tortured king’s soul,
“I have seen
a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite,
Skillful in
playing,
A man of
valor
A man of war
Prudent in
speech,
A man of
good presence”
And then
this final note, the capstone cadence,
“And the
Lord is with him.” . . .
It is this
son of Jesse whose presence
Now
captivates bystanders
And angers
elder brothers as
He boldly
questions
The sound of
thunderous jeering
Resounding
over soldiers shivering in fear,
“Come out
and fight man to man,
Cowards the
lot of you!”
 | |
| Michelangelo's DAVID |
The harpist
hears the dissonant growl
Parsing its
true meaning,
“Who is this
Philistine that he should
Taunt the
armies of the living God?”
Youthful
fervor, incredulity, passion,
Infuse and
fire desire to
Silence dripping insults.
A brief
interview before the King,
A trial of
armor quickly flung aside,
Resolve like
a mountain
Steadies
piercing eyes and
gathering brows,
Muscles
bulging with justice,
Nostrils
flaring for battle,
Strong,
large hands reaching
for familiar weapon.
A clear
brook yields five smooth stones,
Small rocks
crying out with the wisdom of ages
“We have
survived the flood, the hail, the darkness
And this is
our moment, our call to sublime duty.”
Rejoicing, they fall securely into shepherds pouch.
With
practiced, sure movement the Harpist Warrior
Rushes
confidently forward
Solitary,
yet a multitude
Backed by
charging bear
And roaring
lion,
Blood
coursing through manly veins
Hallowed by
honor and godliness.
At the
epicenter of the conflict-
The good
name of God.
He will not
have it,
This
dragging through the refuse heap
The honor of
One whose companionship and glory
He has grown
to love over youthful years,
Neath
starlit skies and bleats of young lamblings
Searching for
mother ewe’s milk.
The roots
and tenderness of family and country
Are burned
deep and long align with Godward gaze.
His mission
is clear.
He has been
a giant slayer long before this monstrous day.
Some good
sayings have their origins in
Fables and
myths of old where truth is ferreted
Out of
magical spinnery.
This saying,
“in the
blink of an eye”
Bleeds
headlines true,
As a ruddy youth
Takes the
man-beast by surprise,
His evil
roar stopping midstream
When strong
practiced hands
Aim with swift
precision,
Hurling lone
antique projectile,
Smooth,
round, lethal,
Piercing forehead
skull,
A deep, quick,
merciful blow,
A blinding
silencing of the foe.
No longer
the verdict of one courtier;
Now all have
seen
“The son of
Jesse the Bethlehemite,
Skillful in
playing,
A man of
valor
A man of war
Prudent in
speech,
A man of
good presence”
And then
this final note, the capstone cadence,
The clue to the
giant’s dangling head,
Ghastly, bloody
in young victor’s hand,
“And the
Lord is with him.”
© 2014, Nancy Gerst
Based on the story of David slaying Goliath from the Old Testament, I Samuel, chapters 16 and 17.
More about the sculpture DAVID: with travel commentary by Rick Steves; and insights about the work in commentary from Robert Bloem, at the University of Colorado Boulder.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MUSIC LINKS
Arthur Honegger's KING DAVID, complete (Le Roi David)
Text here including the original French (from the Genevan Psalter) and English.
Here is a link to bring a smile, a beautifully told rendition of the David and Goliath story by a 2 year old.
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