The Lonely Prophet
Posted by: jas <jas@...>
http://www.cloudburstpoetry.com
Copyright (c) 2009, J. Randal Matheny
THE LONELY PROPHET
by J. Randal Matheny
To a desert's death the lonely prophet fled,
>From Carmel's height, he gave his fear its head;
A royal threat of vengeance put him to flight,
This winning man of faith who wavered, by sight.
In haste, Elijah took no bread or wine,
No warming tent, no thought for the divine;
The mountaintop was past, emotions spent,
The mind forgot which way the victory went.
>From death he ran, from God he asked for death;
Despaired of life, he prayed for his last breath.
To resist was futile, every hope had flown;
Of all the faithful, he thought himself alone.
But blind was he to seven thousand strong;
By angels fed, he heard God kept a throng
Of Israel, their knee unbowed to Baal.
The Sovereign's cause would not, could not, fail.
Elijah felt the wind and quake and fire,
But God was in the quiet voice to inquire:
Why are you here? The power that broke the slope
Would not permit a weepy prophet mope.
So up and out! to do God's work and call
God's few elect, for while a million fall
To earth, the Lord still works in many a man,
To do his will and finish every plan.
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