Haiku of lament
King Saul and three sons
lie slain on the battlefield;
David’s grief-stricken.
He leads the lament
for Saul and for Jonathan;
the mighty, fallen.
Tell it not in Gath!
Let’s not give our enemies
cause to celebrate.
Let the land languish,
forgotten by rain and dew,
let it mourn with us.
Saul and Jonathan,
much loved, united in death
as they were in life.
Swifter than eagles,
stronger than lions; weep loud,
Israel’s daughters.
My heart aches for you,
my brother; your love to me
passed that of women!
© Ken Rookes 2024
