Noah Speaks

With calloused hands and aching limbs we worked,

through mocking laughter ringing in our ears,

with timber upon timber nails on wood

with bucketfuls of pitch neath cloudless skies.

our groaning grew through endless hours of toil.

Insulting epithets the heathen hurled.

Their croaking laughter weakened not our will.

Nail on wood and beam on heavy beam.

We built through demon sneer and heathen laugh.

Spite we drank while hammering the planks.

Pitch on endless pitch we mixed and carried

beneath the rainless sky on blistered backs.

-

Then the final touches to the ramp,

and frantic plunging of approaching hooves

The flapping flurry of the insect wings.

The far horizon dark with beastly shapes

from every distant corner of our world.

Scaled reptile, mammal, and the feathered birds

Male and female creatures screeched and roared.

The dampened Earth was clawed and hoofed and snouted,

trunked and tailed amidst the growing mist.

Then up into the waiting ark they surged.

Obediently they went as freezing rain

dampened our burned skin. “It has begun!

Shut the door! Within will be our shelter!

Our God will seal it tight O Japheth, Shem

and Ham. Into the Ark, all hurry, now!”

And then jars of heaven spilled their gall.

Careening droplets turned to pelting rocks

followed by the surging, roaring deep

that bellowed up to meet the finished Ark.

-

Then wailing of the wind brought savage shouts.

Inhuman voices beat against the door

as we all huddled closely round our lamps.

Frightened beasts went wild within their pens

as surging gusts outside hurled deadly hail

that whipped the pleading voices mercilessly.

“Do not you fear!” a voice “Be calm!” it said.

Panicked mastodons were quickly dazed

and clawing tigers quickly fell asleep.

We shut our fearful eyes and then, I prayed:

“Soiled Earth be blessed but let blasphemers perish!

Foul nephilim who strike at slightest whim . . .

Angelic fallen fathers cruel race,

who chose rebellion towards our gifting God

who from the boundless darkness brought us forth.

providing gladly of the life he’d known

and rightfully could keep unto himself.”

-

The I, Noah paused and slowly rose

and listened to the trembling dying screams,

the pulsing lightning and the echoing crash

of massive waves against the tilting ark.

-

and said:

“Think not that God in all of this delights.

Much more he takes delight that we be saved

than in destroying tainted worlds of sin.

whom I had warned through year on weary year.

But sneering lips that now in darkness drown

repeatedly had called me foolish clown,

pointing crooked fingers at clear skies,

sneering at the Ark to which they cling.

Now too late! Too late! The door is sealed."

I paused and listened and  continued on:

"Behold the angered skies all do his will!

Observe the thunder of his mighty voice

Hear the pounding of his mighty heart!"

And burying his face into my palms

I knelt before my righteous mighty God.

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