Continuing in an effort to put a version of the Samson and Delilah story from the Book of Judges into verse, I present Part VIII.  Perhaps, I should have made this shorter?

Samson (VIII)
by Michael Romani

Amidst un-princely questions of coming kingship
Samson, himself, has questions as to his worship
Could he dare to dream of two peoples in peace
Stopping at nothing until reaching his release

Betrothed he was to Taran, daughter of the enemy
Daring to embrace this child of the adversary
Samson brings his family into dishonor and shame
Caused by two enemies  who cast dispersion and blame

All of this enmity in the name of this love
Neither the Jews or Philistines concerned the above
Philistine wed to Jew this was surely heresy
Such had it been for all their known history

And heresy it was for God's people to be sure
Putting Samson under the heel of the impure
The prince recognized and used this for gain
Instead of using it for peace, he uses it in vain

Samson seeks God inside the darkness of wood
Only hoping in prayer to know God's good
Making this forest, his sanctuary and steeple
Samson prays to know God's will for His people

Seeking in earnest for intervention and sign
Samson's heart hurts as he seeks God's design
By happenstance it seems, he becomes slayer of lion
This Samson, the Nazarite son of Holy Zion

Out of the eater, Samson has made something to eat
Out of the strong, he has found something sweet
And in ritual taking bite of the lion's heart
He finds the riddle of love and soon departs

Arriving at his pre-wedding party riddles are spoken
The riddles and wagers that leave all heart broken
On the surface it seemed a contest meant in token
Who could have guessed the price of pride broken

Sweeter than honey and stronger than a lion
The stolen wit from this true son of Zion
Pride comes with a price that cannot be had
The loss of the cost is by far too, too sad

The loss of the stolen riddle had its price
Pride taken for folly against wisdom's advice
Thirty tunics needed to save sweet Taran's life
As the unholy prince seeks to increase strife

Through Samson's fists, God's wrath causes fear
But despite this Samson holds in hope to persevere
Taking the tunics from the dead breaks his vows
Defiling his purity, when needed most somehow

The unwise prince takes captive Samson's wife
Choosing again the downward spiral of strife
As the consequence of killing thirty Philistines
Samson is condemned to work the killing mines

Running away, Samson turns with a start and flees
Guided by wolves the finds he cannot appease
Using these wolves to set Philistine fields afire
These burn as a result of Samson's pride and desire

Again and again, Samson's pride has its consequence
And his love is sacrificed unsaved by Providence
Reduce to a rage of tears, to his knees he is driven
Begging the Almighty that he may be forgiven

(c) January 20, 2019   Michael Romani
All Rights Reserved