Another View Of The Great Deluge Poem by Gert Strydom

(In answer to D. J. Opperman, in answer to Roy Campbell)

When the first soft drizzle began
up and down in joy some of the children ran
while on the hot rocks steam hissed up
and this was a indication to man

that water can fall from the sky
while it drizzled as if without end while days went by
and in fear and havoc some birds did fly
while the animals fled to get to higher ground

when the overcast cloudy day came with the first hard pouring rain,
the ark's keel lurched forward somewhat came to a halt again
while almost constantly thunderbolts bashed down
the earth shuddered spat out the flaming fire that it does contain,

near to the ark some of the crowd holding on to it did drown,
when again it started to move away others were thrown
while the greatest gale force stormy winds begin to blow
and at the wheel with his huge hands on it Noah was on his own

where in prayer with open eyes he did in God trust
even while in the middle of the greatest gale-force gust
his faith did not for a moment vary
while for days he did what he must

saw thunderbolts coming down as if the sky was alight
did respect God's power and his great might
even when beneath him that great ship shivered
and his heart was broken by man's plight

while at other places in the world evil men fled in great fear
along with all kinds of animals to get from the rising water clear
and legend holds that a giant of a perverted race
knew that some of his sins made this flood appear

where he had raped, robbed and murdered to his heart's content
did have deprave parties day and night until his power was spent
did daily hear Noah for many years and thought him to be mad
but suddenly at the very end saw that there was truth in what he meant

where now he did himself brace on the top of the highest hill
from where he did without any mercy kill
anyone that came near to him
and to the sky shouted his wishes ill

as if his curses and fists high above his head
the words that he later had in terror said
could influence the omnipotent Lord God
while all around him were flouting the dead

before a huge wave swallowed him into its gigantic eddy
and from those waters nothing could be free
when as the last thing living outside of the ark
that big evil human died without any kind of dignity

while Noah and those on the arc were protected by God's mercy,
where that ship drifted on the greatest ocean that any man did ever see
until a day on which the storms did die down and everything was calm
and a rainbow said that never again such a deluge would be.

[Reference:"Legende van die drenkelinge" (the legend of those who drowned)by D. J. Opperman."The flaming terrapin" by Roy Campbell.]

© Gert Strydom