I'd dreamt of Moshe's fall
In the arid land of Kadesh
And I wondered; how sweet
were those waters of Meribah?

Then, I woke up from sleeping
and was greeted by a nightmare

Rising under an Ethiopian cloud
The Grandiose Renaissance
To tame the mighty blue Nile
To free the wild hearts of men

How I pray tensions fall
In the fertile lands of Africa
as I ponder; how sweet
are these waters of Meribah?

1.
drawn from the Horeb stone by
Moses when he struck it
to satisfy the thirsting people
water gushed forth and
Moses sealed his fate

quarrel and strife create death

the water of meribah created the
ultimate sacrifice to God
led Moses to the mount to die
only allowed to see the land promised to his tribe
never to cross the river
never to step foot on the land
or to know its freedom
its milk and honey
forty years of service set aside for one unruly act
a sorrow unbearable

yet, the blessing of his service remains


2.
the water of meribah was to be a baptism
marking the finish of wandering
a cleansing of a people wearied of the desert
a breaking of monotony
a blessing
a chance to begin again, pristine
a gift from God to His people


3.
cleanliness is Godliness
trimming your lamp wicks
is preparing for a new life
as a bride
as a groom
as a people chosen by God for Himself
water is Life
necessary to slaking thirst
both temporal and spiritual
water is holy
necessary to washing us of dirts and sins


4.
and the story of meribah teaches us still
listen carefully
be patient when you work
serve diligently
admit your mistake
accept consequences humbly
blame no one else
be grateful to The Eternal One
for your life as a chosen one
and for your death as a humble one


c. 2023 Roberta Compton Rainwater

Curse all the flowers you sent
Coz each a doleful portend
My soul awry rend.
My feelings silently blend
Just how karma intent.
Time has expired to mend
Would you cease acting befriend.
I burn all the letters I penned
Coz now nothing counterpart with the content.
I learned not more to depend
& put all it to an end.
Now all alone I ascent
To be my own fend.
                                 -Meribah.

The Charmers of Hupomeno

Mankind and his ambition  
Might have thought  
To take slowly from the pile
  
But he seems to heave and throw
Eager to watch it burn
Eyeing the cinder
The ember his eye
Puff and pride swelling his chest
  
What destruction  
And brought tempest
The storm placed  
  
And mankind grins  
Believing it echoed a rain dance
Barking snake oil  
To crowds huddled  
Shaking hands  
To chuck the bottle
  
They lick their lips of its placebo
And stoke the fire  
With sticks of ivory
***** charcoal  
And remnants of nature  
And its source
  
The tapping of singed fingers
Plays a tune  
To impromptu a soft shoe  
Buffaloes time step
And the cake walk shows white teeth
Bared and dinged
And shuf shuf shuffles off
  
Mankind and his cane
To beat the rock  
With the bones of holy ancestry
They drink  
But cannot further the tribe  
Dancing does nothing for distance
Endurance withers  
In the heat furnaced and fueled  
  
Mankind procreated
Whip in hand and behind her like a dog
He has raised a son
And named him Meribah
The Great Entertainer
Watch him twirl the torches
Gasp as they burn
  
The soul at siege  
Will rush the plank  
Will caress the sky from falling
Will scald his flesh  
To prevent the stage on fire
But dismantle it piece by piece
And find a fortress in his stronghold
  
The temple of man
Made of skin
And three rings announce a master of ceremonies  
He is loathe to crack the lions
But had intended them lambs