With the lions

After Daniel 6:10-23 

The lions pace as he sits

on the rock in their den.

They come close and sniff;

He flinches a bit when

they roar their hunger

in his ear. But it is 

a muffled roar, as if it

seeks to escape a closed

mouth. The lions pace;

one comes close and 

pushed against him, 

seeking weakness and 

fear and finding only

surprise and wonder.

The lions rest and then

stand in their hunger

and pace. The man grows

sleepy and dozes until

nudged again. He leans

against a wall and

sleeps, believing

the promise 

of deliverance. 

 

Photograph by Bisakha Datta via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Legally trapped

After Daniel 6:10-23 

A law, an injunction,

to prevent a prayer,

any prayer, by any one,

to any god, most of all,

to the One.

 

He prayed anyway,

as if the law were null

and nothing had 

changed to make him

change his mind or

convince him to do

anything other than 

what he did, daily.

 

Seized and chained, he’s

thrown into the den of lions 

to receive the full penalty 

of an unjust law, watched

by a king trapped by his own

words, a king anguished

in almost physical pain.

 

The lions roam their den.

Morning breaks. The king

hurries to find the man

he trusted and revered, 

expecting to find bones.

Instead, he finds the man,

unharmed.

 

Photograph by Karsten Winegeart via Unsplash. Used with permission.