The Hawk's Quill
  • Home
  • Poetry
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • 40 Days of Purpose
    • Sacred
    • Miscellany
    • Songs (without music)
    • Yahweh
    • The "Other" Psalms
    • Journey thru the Bible >
      • Genesis
      • Exodus
      • Leviticus
      • Numbers
      • Job • The Poetry of Job
      • Psalms >
        • Psalms • Book One [1-41]
        • Psalms • Book Two [42-72]
        • Psalms • Book Three [73-89]
        • Psalms • Book Four [90-106]
        • Psalms • Book Five [107-150]
      • Proverbs
      • Lamentations
    • Relatively Speaking
  • Videos
  • About
  • Blog

Psalm 55

To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Contemplation of David.

God, listen to this prayer I'm earnestly praying,
and hide not your presence from me;
in mercy, give ear to my plea.

Attend to and heed what I'm prayerfully saying,
I'm lost and I'm restless in thought; 
I feel overwhelmed and distraught,

​because all the noise from my foe is astounding,
because of the pressures they've brought;
such anger and malice they've wrought.

My heart, in my chest, is in anguish and pounding;
I'm frightened from terrors of death.
The horror has taken my breath.

If I had the wings of a dove I would flee here,
for then I could finally find rest;
if I found a faraway nest.

​Oh, yes!  I would wander away and not be here,
and out in that wilderness stay;
remaining in peace night and day.
Selah [Interlude]

How quickly I'd hurry to my place of shelter,
so far from this tempest and storm;
a hurricane's starting to form.

Confuse them, O LORD, make their words helter-skelter;
​their plans and their language, divide!
There's conflict the city can't hide.

They're daily patrolling the walls of the city,
to keep the invaders at bay;
while violence and sorrow hold sway.

Destruction and ruin both rule without pity;
oppression and fraud, with deceit
are rampant and don't leave her street.

If enemies chose to insult me — I'd bear it​;
no foe ever did what you did,
or otherwise, I could have hid.

Instead, it was you — like myself, one with merit;
companion and guide; in the end,
considered to be a close friend.

We shared a sweet fellowship walking together
to God's house to praise him in song;
we walked with the worshiping throng.

Let death stalk my foes and surprise them — whenever,
and take them alive into hell;
for evil's at home where they dwell.

But I choose to call upon God in his glory;
the LORD hears me morn, noon and night.
Each groan's heard, however so slight.

He rescues my soul from the battle before me,
though many more stand there arrayed;
for many have joined their crusade.

He hears me and then are my enemies humbled — 
the one who's enthroned without end.
Selah [Interlude]
They change not and don't fear God's hand.

When friend attacks friend, then their covenant's crumbled,
their words butter-smooth — yet war's on;
though oily-soft — swords are drawn.

Cast all of your cares on the LORD who will bear them,
for he'll be sufficiently proved;
the righteous will never be moved.

But you, God, will show them the pit of despair, then;
the wicked will live half their days.
But I'll put my trust in your ways.

This was an interesting one.  Normally, once I start out with a rhyming scheme, I stick to it to the end.  This one, however, kept evolving as I wrote.

It started out something like this:
Listen to this prayer I'm praying,
hide your presence not from me;
hear my plea.

Hear the words that I am saying,

I am restless in my thought; 
and distraught
These two stanzas cover the first two verses in Psalm 55, but verse 3 is much longer and nothing I did could make it fit.  I struggled with the third and fourth stanzas and then the changes began.  The third line in each stanza went from 3 syllables to 5; the first line went from 9 syllables to 12; the third line went from 5 syllables to 8, then to 12, then back to 8.  Finally, the third line of every stanza was italicized, then after it was all written, I changed my mind and took that away.


Home
Menu
Prev
Next
Copyright © 2016-2023  •  The Hawk's Quill LLC
​All rights reserved
Christmas Poems   •   Easter Poems   •   Purpose-Driven Life Poems   •   Sacred Poems
Miscellaneous Poems   •   Songs   •   YAHWEH Series of Poems   •   The "Other" Psalms
Bible Series of Poems   •   Poems by Others   •   Blog
Sitemap   •   Contact
  • Home
  • Poetry
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • 40 Days of Purpose
    • Sacred
    • Miscellany
    • Songs (without music)
    • Yahweh
    • The "Other" Psalms
    • Journey thru the Bible >
      • Genesis
      • Exodus
      • Leviticus
      • Numbers
      • Job • The Poetry of Job
      • Psalms >
        • Psalms • Book One [1-41]
        • Psalms • Book Two [42-72]
        • Psalms • Book Three [73-89]
        • Psalms • Book Four [90-106]
        • Psalms • Book Five [107-150]
      • Proverbs
      • Lamentations
    • Relatively Speaking
  • Videos
  • About
  • Blog