David To Jonathan, A Lost Psalm Recovered, Recent Translation, Circa 1978 Poem by Warren Falcon

'And it came to pass...that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul...Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.'
- 1 Samuel 18: 1 - 4 King James Bible

The Lost Psalm


This ancient tonguing
betrays some fault
disdaining the human world -

which occurred first,
the birthing or the wounding?

Abjuring flesh of necessity,
this, my peace, is false

but the music woos,
swells me up.

It is my sleek, bleak hour
remembering Bathsheba's girth.
There is some mirth in remembering her,
those skirts and veils like a cadence of sweet cakes
and guilt,

but knowing your ungirt, perspiring embrace
so near to the Lord's tent,
makes the sin sweeter
for sweet is the intent
to only love

for now it is
the building up,
the uplifting,
the enfolding,
the engulfing in flame,

Abednego's dancing
unconsumed in a hardness of
flesh against the hardness of belief,
no relief of vision's ken within himself
or fire but in arms and legs thrashing
out creeds to live by.