Greetje: New page: {{info}}When Alexander learned his trade
In Gadara, the people paid
So much for every heaping pail
Of pure ground corn, that from the sale
Of summer crops alone his tough
An...

Greetje — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:55:55 GMT

New page: {{info}}When Alexander learned his trade In Gadara, the people paid So much for every heaping pail Of pure ground corn, that from the sale Of summer crops alone his tough An...

New page

{{info}}When Alexander learned his trade In Gadara, the people paid So much for every heaping pail Of pure ground corn, that from the sale Of summer crops alone his tough And toiling father earned enough To last all year, and build a home As fine as any man in Rome That made his living grinding grain. He used to say, "There's lots more gain In work than play," and he would tell Young Alexander, "You can sell The rotten husks to swineherds by The hills of Sennabris and try To beat the miller's son today In Abila." But on the way The boy would wander off the road And find a place to hide his load Of husks, then sit beside the Sea And watch the boats from Galilee And Hippus sail, and wish his dad Would play instead of getting mad So much. It seemed that all he cared About was how the market fared So he could make more money, buy More things, look more rich, and try To have the nicest house in town. It seemed that he would always frown When Alexander's work was done, Or when he tried to have some fun. He often said, "I'd make a deal With Lucifer if I could feel That it would put a thousand pressed Denarii at my behest, And get gold pieces by the ton And give a legion to my son." And he would add, "Now there's a guy Whose work would really qualify." 

And so when Alexander turned Sixteen he shocked his dad and spurned The miller's trade. He walked away From grain and gold and joyless pay. He traveled west to Nain and found A Jewish orphan girl and drowned His guilt in waves of feelings he Had never known, and finally Eloped across the Jordan back To Gadara, and built a shack Where he could live just north beside The River Yarmuk with his bride. He took up fishing, and a son Was born; and Alexander's one Great dream came true: that he could play With his own little son the way He'd always wanted to. His dad Heard he was back and sent his mad Reply by note: "My kin refuse To live in shacks and marry Jews And fish for hire and waste their time With childish games. It is a crime To throw away your life when you Could earn a thousand times the few Small fish you catch; why you could feed Five thousand men with grain indeed, If you would trust yourself, and stop This acting like a childish flop."

Each word sank like a fiery dart Deep down in Alexander's heart. That night Elizabeth, his wife, Found him secluded with a knife Across his lap and sitting on A tomb where he had often gone When he was young beside the lake. "You know I love you. Can I take The knife?" she whispered. "Alex, may I take the knife?" But as she lay Her fingers on the handle wood He took the blade so that she could Not move it from his grasp. "Alex, Don't let your demon father hex Your life. Please come with me tonight. We need you home. It isn't right To leave our son alone this late. But if you need to think, I'll wait." The moon rose in the sky and made An eerie light. She hadn't prayed For years. But now she felt as though Tonight she faced a kind of foe That she had never dreamed could be. But as she tried to turn the key Of prayer, she saw the blood betwixt The fingers of his fist. And mixed With this strange light it was as black As night. She winced and stumbled back. "O Alex, what is going on?" She cried, "Or is my Alex gone? Well, I will wait for him! I will Not leave my covenant until My husband lies dead at my feet. Know this, you vicious powers, I'll beat You, though you be a legion, nay, Ten thousand strong, for from this day, In spite of all my failure to obey, Elizabeth will learn to pray. And, Alexander, you will learn to play without remorse and earn As little as a happy man Of love and faithful father can."

For seven years the man was wild, And lived among the dead, defiled, Unwashed, unshorn, with gnashing teeth, And screams, and constant foam beneath His twitching lips, and caked with mud And blots of ever-present blood From gashing on the rocks and stones. Sometimes his wrist and ankle bones Lay bare where soldiers tried to chain Him to a carob tree — in vain. His legs were like a legion strong And no one dared to walk along The road to Sennabris.

The days And years went by, and men found ways To Gadara and Sennabris By different routes. And soon by this And other ways the people ceased To think about the man turned beast — Except his wife and son. They knew The time he slept and what he'd do When he awoke. They knew that he Would fall exhausted near the sea At dawn and sleep an hour by The Cyprus tree. And so they'd try Each day to come and leave some meat And fruit and bread for him to eat When he awoke. Sometimes they'd stay And risk a longer time to pray. Once Alexander seemed so dead His son looked up and said, "Is daddy going to be okay?" "I think he is," she said, "You pray." "What should I pray?" "King David said The voice of God is full of dread, And stronger than the biggest scare We've known, and strips the forest bare. I think that you should ask the Lord To lift his voice and wield his sword Against the legion powers that bind And blind your daddy's broken mind."

And so they prayed. Year in, year out In spite of how the kids would shout Their cruel scorn, "Hey, what'd you play With dad today? Or did he say He was too busy digging graves? I'll bet his little boy behaves!" They prayed and prayed, in spite of all The counsel that she got: "Just call It quits. Think of yourself. He's not The man you married once. You've got Your whole life now to live. The boy Will need a normal dad. Your joy Is more important than a mad Man's breakfast. You can't think it's bad To break a vow that's broken way Beyond repair. Divorce, and lay This crazy covenant aside, Your husband has already died."

But still unwavering they prayed.

Until one day a man dismayed His friends beside the sea and walked Toward the demoniac and talked To him as to a fellow man: "What is your name?" "My name? I can Surround you with four thousand eyes. Legion. And I see your disguise, Son of the Most High God! Why are You come before the time so far From home? This is Decapolis No Jews live here, just swine, and this." As Alexander pointed to Himself. "Go on, go on! Look through Decapolis and see if there Is one who prays or anywhere Seeks after God. This is my prize." "Long centuries of exercise Has not increased your skill with lies My little legion, nor your size Made you imposing to the Son Of God. You have forgotten one: The wife of Alexander and Her son. Now you will see the hand Of God. The cup of prayers before My Father's throne is full, I pour It now therefore on you. Where would You fly?" The Legion shrieked, "What good Are pagan Gadarenes? They're swine!" But Jesus said, "Not so. They're mine. Now go! And if for seven years You've lived in swine, then shed no tears For your appointment now." And they Were gone. And Alexander lay Unconscious on the ground while herds Of swine from Sennabris, and birds Of prey, descended to the sea With seven years of tyranny.

As messengers ran to the town To tell the news, the Lord stooped down And carried Alexander to the shore. And there they made him new. They washed his skin, they cut his hair, They gave him decent clothes to wear. But when the city fathers came, Their only thought was whom to blame For all the money that was lost —

Except for one. "A minor cost," The miller cried. "Go home, I'll pay You for your bloated swine. Some day You'll know the cost of joyless toil, And find out that the precious oil of gladness can't be bought for grain Or swine; and that it is insane To put your profit line above Your sons and sell away your love."

He knelt beside his only son. "Forgive me, Alex. All I've done Is wasted. Maybe we could start Again." "How many years apart Have I lived from my wife and son?" "Near seven years. But Alex none, Not even one, did she forsake Her covenant. Nor did she make The slightest overture to men. I think she'd like to see you when You have the strength to go." "And you? Will you come too?" "The prettiest Jew In all Decapolis? How could I not? Perhaps tonight she would Make us a simple meal of fish And fruit. And I could bring a dish Of bread, and we could make a feast, And celebrate the change from beast To man, and that this man's lost son Is home. And then when we are done, Perhaps she might teach us to pray. And then we will make time to play."

Come near the flame of candle three And let it melt the tyranny Of craving toil and barren greed, And mark the way that God decreed: The love of money will destroy An old man or a little boy. The devil deals in avarice And lures with gold to the abyss. We are not made for seeking wealth, And love is all our mental health.

The Gadarene - Revision history

Greetje: New page: {{info}}When Alexander learned his tradeIn Gadara, the people paidSo much for every heaping pailOf pure ground corn, that from the saleOf summer crops alone his toughAn...

Greetje: New page: {{info}}When Alexander learned his trade
In Gadara, the people paid
So much for every heaping pail
Of pure ground corn, that from the sale
Of summer crops alone his tough
An...