Psalm 55 Poem by Justin Reamer

God, hear my prayer,
do not hide from my petition,
give me a hearing, answer me,
I cannot rest for complaining.

I shudder at the enemy's shouts,
at the howling of the wicked;
they bring misery crashing down on me,
and vent their fury on me.

My heart aches in my breast,
Death's terrors assail me,
fear and trembling descend on me,
horror overwhelms me.

And I say,
'Oh for the wings of a dove
to fly away and find rest.'
How far I would take my flight,
and make a new home in the desert!

There I should soon find shelter
from the raging wind,
and from the tempest, Lord that destroys,
and from their malicious tongues.

I can see how Violence
and Discord fill the city;
day and night they stalk together
along the city walls.

Sorrow and Misery live inside,
Ruin is an inmate;
Tyranny and Treachery are never absent
from its central square.

Were it an enemy who insulted me,
I could put up with that;
had a rival got the better of me,
I could hide from him.

But you, a man of my own rank,
a colleague and a friend,
to whom sweet conversation bound me
in the House of God!

May the recoil in disorder,
may Death descend on them,
may they go down, still living, to Sheol-
since Evil shares their homes.

I, for myself, appeal to God
and Yahweh saves me;
evening, morning, noon,
I complain, I groan;
He will hear me calling.

His peace can ransom me
from the war being waged on me.
How many are ranged against me!
But God will hear me.

Sovereign from the first, He will humble them;
no change of heart is for them,
since they do not fear God.

He has attacked his friends,
he has gone back on his word;
through his mouth is smoother than butter,
he has war in his heart;
his words may soothe more than oil,
but they are naked swords.

Unload your burden onto Yahweh,
and He will support you;
He will never permit
the virtuous to falter.

As for these murderous, these treacherous men,
You, God, will push them
down to the deepest Pit
before half their days are out.

For my part, I put my trust in You.