buried deep in the 'begats'
among the many generations
identified more by patriarchy
than relational complexity
lurk interesting women
distubers of the peace
playing by other rules
of survival in a world
of women often used
used up and replaced
superceded, discarded
Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba
Mary and of course Ruth
King David's great-granny
who captured Boaz's heart
through her faithfulness
to mother-in-law Naomi
'where you go, I shall go
where you live, I shall live
your people will be my people
and your God will be my God
where you die, I shall die
and there I shall be buried'
and his ***** in a dalliance
in the fields by moonlight
but a foreigner and worse
despised, detestable of Moab
lower than the lowest of the low
yet loved, honoured, an ancestor
not just for David but Jesus too
stepping outside the acceptable
forcing herself into the history
never an anonymous cipher
named, revered, a 'begat'
Jan 7
Jan 7, 2026 at 2:57 PM UTC
buried deep in the 'begats'
among the many generations
identified more by patriarchy
than relational complexity
lurk interesting women
distubers of the peace
playing by other rules
of survival in a world
of women often used
used up and replaced
superceded, discarded
Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba
Mary and of course Ruth
King David's great-granny
who captured Boaz's heart
through her faithfulness
to mother-in-law Naomi
'where you go, I shall go
where you live, I shall live
your people will be my people
and your God will be my God
where you die, I shall die
and there I shall be buried'
and his ***** in a dalliance
in the fields by moonlight
but a foreigner and worse
despised, detestable of Moab
lower than the lowest of the low
yet loved, honoured, an ancestor
not just for David but Jesus too
stepping outside the acceptable
forcing herself into the history
never an anonymous cipher
named, revered, a 'begat'
2nd January 2026
Ninth Day of Christmas
cf. Ruth 1:16-17; Matthew 1.1-17
Stephen Cooper
