Small voice

Responding to 1 Kings 19

Haiku of hope

He's in deep trouble,

Elijah. Happens when you

stand against evil.

Jezebel the queen

sends word: Sort out your affairs;

tomorrow you die.

Elijah shoots through,

fleeing for his life. Frightened?

What do you reckon?

He left his servant

at Beer Sheba and headed

off into the bush.

After a day's march

he cried: Let me die, O Lord,

I have had enough!

He got up, ate, drank,

and travelled forty more days;

reaching mount Horeb.

In a cave God spoke:

Why have you come, Elijah?

They seek my life, Lord.

They turned from you, God,

they have pulled down your altars,

and killed your prophets.

Go to the entrance

of the cave. Watch; you will see,

your Lord passing by.

A great wind split rocks,

an earthquake shook the mountain,

and then came a fire.

Sheer silence followed.

In the silence God is found,

not in flash display.

Return Elijah;

it will be all right. Know this;

you are not alone.

© Ken Rookes 2025

Complaining place

Haiku for the thirsty

Water; essential

for all creatures, without it

there can be no life.

Understandably

they thirsted, craving water;

I would complain, too.

In the wilderness

with no river, pool, or spring;

what was he thinking!

How about it, Mo?

Did you bring us here to die,

along with our kids?

Where’s your God, Moses?

It’s getting hard to believe

when our throats are parched!

Okay God, your turn!

They are ready to stone me;

what am I to do?

Take your staff, Moses,

stand at the rock of Horeb,

I’ll give you water!

Moses struck the rock,

water gushed out. He called it,

Place of Complaining.

© Ken Rookes 2023

Sheer silence

 Haiku for the fearful

Fearful Elijah

receiving Jezebel’s threat,

decides to clear out.

Hiding in a cave

on the holy Mount Horeb

he hears God’s question.

I have done your will,

Lord, and my life is at risk,

so I ran away.

Stand on the mountain,

wait and watch, because the Lord

is about to pass.

In turn, a great wind,

an earthquake and fire surround;

God is not in them.

A sound of silence,

sheer and still, tells Elijah

that the Lord is here.

In silence, stillness,

mystery; God’s voice. Questions;

perhaps some answers.

The question is asked,

and answered. Return, Prophet,

and get on with it.

© Ken Rookes 2022