I Am My Beloved's
Friday, September 12, 2008
Sally's recent reading of Song of Songs in response to my sensual poem "Midlife Miracle" [see posts immediately following] inspired me to do my own digging in that same part of Scripture. I remember studying Song of Songs in college, and I've revisited the book since then for various reasons. When Rich and I got married, one of our wedding songs, "Arise My Love," was derived from S of S. The lyrics (taken directly from the Bible) were as mesmerizing as nodding lillies in the morning sunshine. Beautiful, yes, but 16 years later I'm realizing how "religious folk" (including myself) can tend to chasten sexuality, removing all the steamy connatations!
Not this week! Reading the whole piece of literature in one sitting, poem post-partum, I was shocked. Jesus truly is the "Divine Lover of My Soul" (as Sally put it in her recent email.) I found myself jotting notes in a journal, scribbling images that enrapture my heart with fresh meaning, fresh Love. I also sensed God's "YES" to my own boldly stated, but humble poem, and it was all the affirmation I could ever need!
Here are some of my favorite passages from Song of Songs. Maybe they'll inspire you to grab the Good Book and read for yourself!
"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth--for your love is more delightful than wine. "
How's that for an opening line, verse 1? There's no question where this book is headed, Scripture erotica!
"Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. He has taken me to the banquet hall , and his banner over me is love." (verse 1: 3, 4) How many times have I heard the popular "banquet" verse and dismembered it from it's true context?
"Listen! My lover! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. My lover spoke and said to me, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me."
(The Beloved and the Lover trade voices throughout the book, and so in the following passages the Lover speaks:)
"Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of a craftsman's hands. Your navel is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine. Your waise is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies. Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle." (7:2, 3)
"May your breasts be like the clusters of the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples, and your mouth like the best wine."
And the Beloved says in response:
"May the wine go straight to my lover, flowing gently over lips and teeth." (7:8, 9)
And a possible climax, but this falls early in the book:
"My lover thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him. I arose to open for my lover, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh, on the handles of the lock. I opened for my lover. . . " (5:4-6)
Okay, even as I type that passage, I'm struck by how R-rated it is! If you missed it (as it's easy to do when we overspiritualize things) go back and read again!
And how is it that I was embarrassed to put such sexy language into my own poem?
There's also a chorus of "friends" that chime in sporadically throughout the book, giving their communal blessing. One could almost imagine them at a banquet hall, clinking wine glasses in cheer:
"Eat, O friends, and drink; drink your fill, O lovers." (5:1)
I echo that!
Not this week! Reading the whole piece of literature in one sitting, poem post-partum, I was shocked. Jesus truly is the "Divine Lover of My Soul" (as Sally put it in her recent email.) I found myself jotting notes in a journal, scribbling images that enrapture my heart with fresh meaning, fresh Love. I also sensed God's "YES" to my own boldly stated, but humble poem, and it was all the affirmation I could ever need!
Here are some of my favorite passages from Song of Songs. Maybe they'll inspire you to grab the Good Book and read for yourself!
"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth--for your love is more delightful than wine. "
How's that for an opening line, verse 1? There's no question where this book is headed, Scripture erotica!
"Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. He has taken me to the banquet hall , and his banner over me is love." (verse 1: 3, 4) How many times have I heard the popular "banquet" verse and dismembered it from it's true context?
"Listen! My lover! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. My lover spoke and said to me, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me."
(The Beloved and the Lover trade voices throughout the book, and so in the following passages the Lover speaks:)
"Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of a craftsman's hands. Your navel is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine. Your waise is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies. Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle." (7:2, 3)
"May your breasts be like the clusters of the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples, and your mouth like the best wine."
And the Beloved says in response:
"May the wine go straight to my lover, flowing gently over lips and teeth." (7:8, 9)
And a possible climax, but this falls early in the book:
"My lover thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him. I arose to open for my lover, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh, on the handles of the lock. I opened for my lover. . . " (5:4-6)
Okay, even as I type that passage, I'm struck by how R-rated it is! If you missed it (as it's easy to do when we overspiritualize things) go back and read again!
And how is it that I was embarrassed to put such sexy language into my own poem?
There's also a chorus of "friends" that chime in sporadically throughout the book, giving their communal blessing. One could almost imagine them at a banquet hall, clinking wine glasses in cheer:
"Eat, O friends, and drink; drink your fill, O lovers." (5:1)
I echo that!
