Samson Of Gaza Poem by gershon hepner

Thamthon of Gaza, with muthles of thteel,
was theated one day on the lap of a danther,
Delilah, who athked him: “Thay, can they be real? ”
“Ath real as my hair ith tho long, ” wath his anther,
before in her armth he fell deeply athleep.
Her reaction wath criminal, crafty and crithp:
she cut off hith hair, thinth her love was thkin-deep,
while hith love wath blind, thinth he thpoke with a lithp.
Oh pity the hero for wordth that he uttered
bethotted with love for a Philithtine lath;
if he had not lithped, but when thpeaking had thtuttered,
he might not have lotht like Goliath of Gath.

Inspired by a poem by Simon Armitage, quoted by Helen Vendler in a review in TNR, February 18,2009, of the English poet’s latest book of poems, Tyrannosaurus Rex Versus the Corduroy Kid:

Goliath of Gath, with hith helmet of
bwath,
Wath theated one morning upon the
gween gwath,
When up thlipped thlim David the
thervant of Thaul,
Who thaid I thall thmite thee, although
I'm tho thmall.


2/8/09