Poets and Poems: Harry Clifton and “Herod’s Dispensations”

Herod the Great (74/73 B.C. – circa 4 B.C.) lived 2,000 years ago, but he still causes arguments among historians. He built the second temple in Jerusalem, the port at Caesarea, fortresses, and palaces. He reorganized Judea’s social hierarchy. He rather artfully managed his Roman overlords. 

Yet he was among the most violent and ruthless of kings, including within his own family. He’s most infamously associated with the slaughter of the innocents, the killing of the young children and babies to eliminate the king foretold to take his place. Some scholars doubt that story, recorded in the Gospel of St. Matthew, but Herod certainly had the reputation to be credibly accused of it.

Irish poet Harry Clifton uses the idea of Herod in his latest poetry collection, Herod’s Dispensations.

To continue reading, please see my post today at Tweetspeak Poetry. 

Herod's Lament

It is whispered, a faint but urgent murmur.

These fools surrounding me think I don’t see them turn away or suddenly stop speaking as I approach or paste their sickly courtier smiles on their sickly courtier faces.

It’s in the bazaars like a rumor of free pomegranates, or figs fresh from the orchards; in the caravans passing through to Egypt and Damascus. It slinks its poisonous venom among my own barracks troops. My sons speak haltingly, stuttering their nervousness in front of me, not concerned for their father, of course, never for their father. They hear the mutterings and their self-obsession trembles for their futures.

It’s in the very wind that dries and sears my palace walls, the burning that parches my throat with a thirst no wine or water can satisfy, the wind that taunts and dares me to respond.

Messiah.

The wind blows its foul breath and whispers Messiah. The Messiah comes.

I order my priests to search their precious scrolls, my scribes to examine the court archives, my astrologers to study the stars and the heavens and tell me what they find in the alignments and movements. They come before me, my priests, my scribes, my astrologers, they come before me with the necks bent, waiting for the sword to slice their impunity.

Messiah.

My wife tells me she dreams of Messiah.

All of them fools. A pack of fools. Superstitious idiots.

They do not know what kings do to messiahs.

We destroy them.

Even if the wind whispers the name.

Messiah.

Illustration: Bust of Herod the Great, 1^st Century B.C.; Florence.