A calf of gold

Haiku for an angry God

Moses is delayed

on the mountain. The people

are concerned, anxious.

This elusive God

is not what they want. Give us

a god we can grasp.

A god to guide us,

a god we can take with us;

make us such a god.

All right, said Aaron,

give me all your gold, the rings

that hang from your ears.

Aaron took the rings,

melting them, cast an image

of a golden calf.

He built an altar.

Tomorrow we sacrifice,

celebrate our god!

The people ate, drank

and rose up to revel. God

was most unimpressed.

Go back down, Moses.

They have turned away from me,

these faithless people.

Now leave me, said God,

my wrath burns hot against them,

I will consume them.

Take it easy, God.

You brought them out of Egypt,

don’t waste it all, now.

You gave a promise

to Abe, Isaac, and Jacob;

you would make them great.

Moses convinced God

to change his mind. Disaster

averted, thank God.

© Ken Rookes 2023

Golden and Bovine shaped

Golden, and bovine shaped.

 

Where are the gods

who brought us out of Egypt;

where are the reassuring gods

who speak the words we anxiously crave?

Let us build an altar upon which our chosen

and carefully crafted god

can be enthroned in majesty.

And let us dance and sing

in frenzy and abandon

to the gods of gold and comfort;

the gods that promise

that our labour will be rewarded,

our bellies will be filled,

our borders protected,

our security guaranteed,

and that those less worthy will receive

only that to which they are entitled.

Golden, and bovine shaped.

These, these are the gods we adore,

before whom we will make the sacrifice

of our planet and our peace,

our compassion and our conscience;

and the future of our children.

Let us build an altar
.