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The Golden Calf
a rondeau
The golden calf draws shouts of awe
From wanton men who bray and caw.
The fevered crowd ignites a fire
Then cheers as flame on flame grows higher
And fuels the lusts of groin and jaw.
Some dress to kill, some words are raw;
Some thoughts are blue yet red of claw;
But all vaunt with perverse desire
__The golden calf.
They consecrate each sin and flaw
And prove a worth far less than straw.
What’s virtuous they render dire
And proudly court Jehovah’s ire.
This idol poisons lives and law—
__The golden calf.
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Jeremiah Imprisoned in the Cistern
“You have broken the yoke of wood, but in its
place you will get a yoke of iron.” —Jeremiah 28:13.
Stone-hearted darkness reigns, though through the grate
Soft moonbeams pass revealing shallow waters
Within this makeshift cell. At least my fate
Is not a drowning one. O, sons and daughters
Of Judah, how you sin! Not you, small creature
Who’s come to share my cistern. Little rat,
Has Heaven led you here to be my teacher?
Or do you flee from fear of our King’s cat?
This wretched cistern—let it be a haven
To which you go and come as you may choose.
These walls of stone at least are free of graven,
Repulsive images unfit for Jews.
I’m jailed here on King Zedekiah’s act
Of fighting truth! His soul an empty void,
He seeks my death because I state the fact
That soon Jerusalem must be destroyed.
But it’s the Lord who passes judgment here!
I do not speak from love of fame or profit.
I shout what God would have His people hear.
Such strain it is, my friend, to be a prophet;
But halt I can’t! I live as though my voice
Were not my own. It clamors, wails and shatters—
An instrument God plays. I have no choice.
To promulgate His will is all that matters.
I’ve chastised kings. Now I’m a man of mud,
As humble, little rodent friend, as you.
I’m silenced while the people give the blood
Of children to a god base and untrue.
Yet they dare claim it’s my words which appall!
Debauched, perverted, how they grin and rush
To break God’s covenant and worship Baal!
The people have forgotten how to blush.
The worst was the false prophet Hananiah.
Around my neck I wore a wooden yoke
To augur Judah’s fall. He yelled “Pariah!
It’s Babylon which shall be dust and smoke!”
He said God’s curse had been misunderstood
And yanked apart the yoke that I had donned.
“You fool” I gasped. “That yoke was merely wood.
You’ve forged it now into an iron bond!”
Ah, little rat, it’s hard to speak the truth,
God’s honest truth and yet be disbelieved.
“Insane!” “Demonic!” “Charlatan!” “Uncouth!”
I’m labeled things no rodent has conceived.
But defamation cannot change what’s real:
Repair the ramparts, grapple with the wind!
Clear out the postern, gather all your steel!
War comes! And harsh defeat to those who’ve sinned.
My little friend, for you life is so clear.
No locusts infiltrate your restless dreams.
No king can simply make you disappear
By dropping you in water. As it seems,
You do not labor, have no sheep to tend;
You hide with ease, you purloin food and eat.
When Judah’s lost to conquest you, my friend,
Shall feast on our abandoned fields of wheat.
Jerusalem, why must you be so blind?
Repent! Repent! Get on your knees! Repent!
For judgment comes—and it shall not be kind.
You’ve mocked God’s laws. Compose now your lament
For exile looms—with groans, with teeth that gnash
As you are chained and dragged away as slaves.
Your arrogance will fill your mouths like ash
And for relief you’ll contemplate your graves.
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Brian Yapko is a lawyer who also writes poetry. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
This is wonderfully powerful poetry Brian, and pounds without relief upon the readers thoughts and the need for lamentations regarding broken promises to your deity, and resultant divine interventions, and the consequences to society. Many thanks
Thank you very much, David! Once God is removed from the equation all manner of chaos and bedevilments can occur in society. And when God is actively mocked — a common occurrence these days — the worst evils become not only possible but normalized. Such a situation cannot be sustained without consequences.
“And fuels the lusts of groin and jaw” is a great line.
One question — in “Jeremiah…” the first line seems to have four stresses, while the rest of the poem is in iambic fives. Is this deliberate?
Thank you very much, Joe. Well, my intention on the first line of “Jeremiah” was for it to be read as follows: “HARD DARKness REIGNS though THROUGH the GRATE…” with a headless iamb at the start (yes, deliberate.) But if you don’t think that works I could open the poem with “ReMORSEless DARKness REIGNS though THROUGH the GRATE…” But I rather liked the jump into the headless iamb as giving the poem an unsettled feeling from the start. And I wanted the contrast between “hard” outside world and the “soft” moonbeams represent something more spiritual. In my mind, Jeremiah’s poetic call to repentance is not necessarily a place for metrical beauty. But only if it works!! What do you think?
Both are OK, but my own choice would be to write:
Remorseless darkness reigns, though through the grate…
I think you need a comma after /reigns,/ for syntactical clarity. You might also consider replacing “Remorseless” with “Obscuring,” simply to avoid the accidental juxtaposition of -ess and -ess.
Joe, thank you for these additional thoughts on the first line. Yes, to the comma for sure. I’ve thought about that opening sentence and I think where I’d like to go with it is as follows: “Stone-hearted darkness reigns, though through the grate…” “Stone-hearted” fixes the meter (with a heavy spondee rather than an iamb) and still provides a slight and desired disorientation to the beginning of the poem because of that spondee. Even better, the stone-heart image relates thematically to the worship of Baal, the blood-stained altar and the unyielding, stone hearts of stubborn people who are incapable of listening. The entire poem thus gets foreshadowed in that one word. Lastly, I still get to keep my contrast in the first two lines of hard and soft. I hope you like this forthcoming change. Thank you for making me keep trying to improve it!
Yes! That is a very good change, and one which maintains the initial stress that you wanted.
These are some great Old Testament related poems that remind us today of the wages of sin. “The Golden Calf” reminds us of how far God’s people, let alone the rest can stray from the truth and righteousness. Using a rat as an audience is an inspired way to tell your excellent story of Jeremiah. Great work.
Thank you so much, Roy! Yes, the Golden Calf is written with those who should know better in mind.
As for “Jeremiah” — I’m delighted that you approve of the rat as the silent interlocutor. I knew I wanted to do a monologue for the prophet but struggled over how and why he would be offering a soliloquy. Introducing the rat allowed me to have an organic conversation which had the added bonus of allowing some additional indirect commentary on human nature.
The golden calf was a regular at assembly when I was a kid. The story of Jeremiah, not so much, so it was great to read such an accessible rendering.
It never helped at assembly that the deputy headmaster glowered at us as we entered the assembly hall, and if anyone wasn’t silent he launched one of those old wooden board erasers at the culprit, often hitting the wrong kid.
Thanks for the reads, Brian. That rondeau’s very well constructed and accessible too, by the way.
Thank you very much, Paul, for reading and commenting! I don’t quite understand what you mean about the golden calf being “a regular at assembly” and would love to hear more! And I’m very pleased that you liked the construct of the rondeau!
Re The Golden Calf, I just meant that it was a story they often told us at assembly along with the good Samaritan and Noah’s Ark.
Brian, you renew the shock I experienced when I carefully read through the Bible as a graduate student and got to the book of Jeremiah. He is a prophet who calls for repentance, but more important, for acceptance of punishment. It is too late for the repentant to expect deliverance. Rather, as you say in the final stanza of this magnificent jeremiad, it’s time to compose laments, referring on to Jeremiah himself doing so as inspired author of the book of Lamentations.
You have worked hard at perfect wording in this poem. How much better is “promulgate” than “proclaim” or anything similar! Jeremiah doesn’t just inform Judah of God’s will, but by speaking what God says, makes it effective. “And yanked apart the yoke that I had donned” (rhyming with “bond”) brings the work fast forward to us Yanks. At the same time the prophet executes performance art that visually demonstrates what he says about false prophecy as the worst of offenses. How can it be worse than spilling the blood of children in false worship? Because it rips God Himself away from a people who become capable of any abomination, and think God still favors them.
I find that I can feel for Jeremiah more than for any other prophet. This is why it’s good to present relief offered by the rat in your poem. I’ll quote my own translation of Proverbs 25:20c, “As a moth harms a garment and a worm injures wood, so sorrow hurts the heart of a man.” We see Jeremiah’s sorrow in what he must say. The verse is painstakingly alliterative in the Vulgate, “Sicut tinea vestimento et vermis ligno, ita tristitia viri nocet cordi.” I use it as a meditation for the Agony in the Garden. Jeremiah is a type of Christ particularly considering the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
That didn’t quite finish as it should have, with admiration of your Jeremiah taking consolation in the rat’s company, while he says of men, “There is no one who considers well in his heart.” [his own book, 12:11] With the humble rodent and the prophet’s thoughtful attention to him, you make a story element of Biblical touches that show us Jeremiah’s injured heart. You’re thus remarkably faithful to the storied character you present.
Thank you for your insights regarding Jeremiah’s little rodent visitor. As I mentioned to Roy above, I was very troubled by how I might organically have Jeremiah speaking to himself in the cistern. The presence of the rat and the prophet’s kindness to him made it much easier to write this.
Thank you very much, Margaret, for this generous comment. I did not know that Jeremiah was the author of Lamentations and am grateful for this bit of information. I also much appreciate your appreciation of my attention to detail here. I did work rather hard at the word choice and was especially pleased with that donned/bond rhyme. It may not be immediately noticed, but I also was very pleased to fit in stanza three end rhymes which were also homonyms: here/hear and profit/prophet.
I love your translation of Proverbs and have derived some pleasure, now, in speaking the Latin out loud. It is a beautiful thought recorded in beautiful words.
Marvelous work, Brian–esp. Jeremiah. Very fluent, but sharp and biting. Let those with ears hear!
Like Joseph, I was struck by that 4-foot line.
Thank you very much, Julian! And amen — let them hear — and see!
I haven’t read much of the Old Testament but I know what I like in a poem. I would call “Jeremiah Imprisoned…” awesome if I
didn’t reserve that adjective for God alone.
J.D., thank you so much for this comment. I’ve been going back to the Old Testament rather often lately and am astonished at how satisfying it is, and how much of it I am unfamiliar with even though I’ve read through it before. The people in the Bible are so relatable and human and their stories are full of deep meaning.
And I truly appreciate your kind words and your reservation of the word “awesome” for the One who deserves that adjective!
I didn’t comment earlier on “The Golden Calf” because I needed to find the appropriate Jeremiah quote. The Israelites were making sacrifices to the golden calf idol; that’s why they ignite a fire in the first place, although you, Brian, have them stir up flames further, suggesting sins of the flesh they engage in. When they eat flesh of the animal sacrifice, this unites them to the idol. Jeremiah 11:15b, speaking of Jerusalem in his time, asks a question constructed in words that expect an absolutely negative answer: “What holy flesh will take away from you the malicious deeds in which you have gloried?” That is, even should the people stop sacrificing to false gods and return to the True, no sacrifice will avail. If I may see this as a prophecy, it looks forward to the only perfectly holy sacrifice, that of Christ on the Cross. It’s appropriate to put these two poems together, because both depict conduct that cannot be corrected by the sinners, even by repentance. They must submit to God’s plan yet unknown for their redemption.
Margaret, to my chagrin I just realized that I had not replied to this comment on “The Golden Calf.” Thank you so much for this comment and your discussion of the nature and consequences of sins so grave that no sacrifice will avail. I think your interpretation of this incident as prophecy of the one perfect sacrifice is not only apposite but quite correct. As for the pairing of the poems, yes… I had presented them as a set. In my view, “Jeremiah” is something of a moral anchor for the set while “The Golden Calf” suggests the ease with which the Hebrews in Exodus (well before Jeremiah’s time) and people ever after even unto the 21st Century (well after Jeremiah’s time) willingly fall into the worship of idols which can only cause death and destruction in the long run. Mockery of God and God’s laws is a very old and persistent theme in history.
Brian, these two profound poems are a real treat, not only for their artistic value (top-notch, as ever), but also for the power of the messages they convey – messages that shout out to a world gone insane of the pitfalls of godlessness.
The rondeau is used to immense effect in ‘The Golden Calf’, and I especially like the second stanza with its “thoughts of blue” and that wonderful red-claw nod to Tennyson. Such debauchery, such savagery… oh how it echoes the evils of today!
But my favorite is ‘Jeremiah Imprisoned in the Cistern’ – a creative marvel that appeals to my love of poetry while speaking to my heart. So much is expressed, so much revealed… all through Jeremiah’s conversation with a rat… a rat who is elevated to a level far superior to all those who have broken God’s covenant to worship Baal. There are so many shining lines in this mini-masterpiece that I am hard-pressed to choose. I especially like, “But defamation cannot change what’s real” and “When Judah’s lost to conquest you, my friend,/Shall feast on our abandoned fields of wheat.” simply because, to me, they sing of the significance of the truth and the consequences of abandoning it.
Brian, this poem brings to mind all those poets out there who draw attention to the wickedness in our world and suffer the metaphorical slings and arrows of those who hate them for doing so… and you are at the top of that list. Thank you for all you do to draw attention to the plight of today’s preyed upon children with the gifts God has given you. Very well done indeed!
Thank you so much, Susan! Your appreciation of the rondeau is particularly pleasing to me since I consider you a master of the form — and the poet who first introduced it to me!
I’m even more honored by your kind words about “Jeremiah.” There has been some commentary here about that rat. I find that the second most important decision when writing a dramatic monologue (after identifying the speaker) is to come up with a good silent interlocutor — someone, or something, who creates a situation which makes the speaker’s monologue organic. Here, Jeremiah is in solitary confinement in a cistern. It occurred to me that a rat might be welcome company for him and give him an opportunity to get some things off his chest. As you note, the choice of the rat also allowed for some interesting comparisons between rodent and human behavior — and human conduct does not come off well in this comparison.
The final paragraph of your comment speaks volumes. Yes, “Jeremiah” has, in part, been inspired by the unjust consequences faced by those who would speak the truth, whether it is cancellation, defamation, economic ruin or physical harm. I appreciate your putting me at the top of the list, but I can’t be at the top if you already occupy that position!!! Much gratitude for your kind words and the inspiring example of your brave insistence on speaking the truth (and using the very best of your gifts to that end) no matter the cost.
Thanks, Brian, for these well-written takes on events in the Torah. And they are all too relevant for the present day.
Thank you for this kind comment, David! From a literary standpoint, the Torah is an inexhaustible source of poetic possibilities. From a spiritual standpoint, the Scriptures are an inexhaustible source of wisdom.
Brian, these are both really good, very relevant to our times… I think anything more I could say would just echo everyone else. However, it’s piqued my interest in possibly writing some Old-Testament-themed poems of my own…
Thank you very much, Josh. I did, of course, write them keeping modern times in mind. And I would very much like to see you write an Old Testament-themed poem. I will look forward to it!
Both poems are a pleasure to read on a fine Sabbath evening, thank you very much Brian. I especially enjoy your take on Jeremiah in the pit, talking to a rat. You really make the story come alive this way. Both poems go very well together, since both stories deal with idolatry and its effects on the lives of the people, who esteem created material things as well as their own ideas higher than their Creator God, Yahuah Elohim.
Thank you very much indeed, Yael. Idolatry has always existed and has always rotted the souls of individual people and entire societies. Our current age in which either materialism or ideology — or both! — are worshiped is a dismaying example of this. As you say, God (whose very name is holy) alone is worthy of our worship!