And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Cozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family. [Numbers 25:15 NIV]
COZBI
The scent of my father's house
sun
the way Zimri's eyes glittered
in the nightsky
water
mother's laughter
the girls
the patter of things
people, on the desert floor
all the festival food tastes
These I will miss.
These
I trespass across bloodlines
and surrender
for my love.
6 Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand
8 and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman's stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped. [Numbers 25:6-8]
Wow. I really...LIKE...this. Test of a poem that is true in "imagery", it makes you smile when you don't want to. It's like seeing Obama and Michelle hugged up--you GRIN. This poem brings me back...something from my homeland in Africa. Something warm and very etheral.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. Midian was in northeast Africa.
ReplyDeleteAre you taking a Twitter break?
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen you as of late.
Is it a gift of silence you need?
Miss ya in my Twitter feed.
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I tried to post this in the entry above, but it wouldn't work.
I was in "Vegas Baby" (Ahh! Ocean's 7 theme song in my head is not a good look)
ReplyDeleteVery vivid. I felt a peace in the decision despite the personal sacrifice. Great work.
ReplyDelete@sistawithafro,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment! I do wonder if women who give up their culture for love have a peace about it.
Hi Namie,
ReplyDeleteWell yes but Cozbi didn't know it was wrong. In fact it was Zimri who developed the habits thus bad character. But it wasn't his personality that affected his fate - it was his actions.
Waltzing past Moses with a sacred prostitute in front of the Tent of Meeting? #failZimri