Jonah (2) Poem by Gert Strydom

The storm is fierce the ship wants to sink
and of my own rebellion and sin I do think
when the sea almost swallows it, the bow wants to break,
as if everyone is going to drown with me,

the men reach with their hands to the lot
it falls on me and the moment of truth does come
where I am thrown into the depths along with my possessions
and I had thought that I had hidden myself from God

but I am praying where I think that here now my end has come
and in that dark water I still do believe in Him
where I do not have breath and the chill does eat into my soul
when that gigantic fish do suddenly astound me

does swallow me with a huge open mouth
and I do experience some more misfortune
where its stomach acid wants to devour me,
where I just wanted to die in the ocean and to my luck

after many prayers that monster spits me out at Nineveh
just there on the dry earth where water in a jet washes over me
and I do know that my Lord and God even in calamity do notice me
in such times do accompany me.

In rage I go to those hellish people to preach about redemption
and to witness how God does burn their whole city down
where after I had told them about their sins
I wait at a distance to witness their last day coming

but still the Lord God does look down upon them with great mercy
and against my will each one does repent.

© Gert Strydom