Abraham the Good Man
a poem
Abraham walked up the mountain
Carrying the fire and the blade:
One to consume the sacrifice,
The other, to put the boy in his grave.
Was he a good, kind man,
Ready to kill his flesh and blood
(Who carried the broken tinder)
All because of a voice from above?
The two alone on the mountain top,
He bound the child tight,
As his mind scattered around
Every lie and sin, and rape in the night.
No. This was not a good man.
His history told another story
Of a promise he strove to obtain
Even at the cost of an end so gory.
He wanted the promise for himself,
For no one else’s hand
To lay hold of descendants and fame
And a treasured promised land.
“Hineni,” his lips had said to God and child,
As his name came from the mouth of each.
With unknown desire in his heart,
Now his assurance was within reach.
Heart prepared to let go of Isaac,
He raised the blade, keeping fire at the ready
The blood and burnt offering would ensure
The promise to be forever steady.
Without intervention, Isaac would be dead.
Only by angelic voice was he spared
For Abraham wasn’t a good man
And at the altar, his heart was laid bare.