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The Possessed of Gadara
He stepped on foreign soil in pagan land,
Had left behind the sea of Galilee,
To enter pagan soil in need and want
To learn about divine benignity.
Gadara's wild man Jesus was to meet,
In gentile land,- paynim Decapolis,
To make him sane and whole, from demons freed,
And foul possession's madness and disease.
They'd held him bound with fetters and with chain,
He plucked apart, alike a string of twine,
He roamed about, defending his domain,-
he grave yards and the caverns most malign.
His mind by darkness' agents bound and held,
"You are the son of Him that rules and "IS"
He cut himself with stones and shrieked and yelled:
"Send us not back into the dark abyss"!
What terror meeting this man face to face,
And hear his shouts and shrieks from tombs nearby:
"T'is our territory, turf and base"
T'is our place to hold and occupy.
"You are the son of God Almighty,- please,
Do let us occupy the herd of pigs,
Don't drive us out from the Decapolis,
The turf of Rome and formerly of Greeks".
Assyrians’ once, then Greek’s and now proud Rome’s,
- Vicissitude of human history,-
We build on dung hills sometimes our homes,
And spurious spots, filled to capacity.
"Instead of dwelling in the dark abyss,
Please let us occupy this herd of swine",
The mob, called "legion" fond of pigs and fleas,
Prefers fat swine to sheep, or flesh bovine.
The Lord acquiesced and let the demons take
Up residence within the herd of swine,
The beasts however ran down to the lake,
Too freightened by the entities malign.
The demons hastened to take residence,
But swine were loath with demons to abide,
And ran tow'ds water there themselves to cleanse,
Down from their pasture hill in panicked freight.
These piglets, fattened well and highly priced,
And slaughter-bound by owners set aside,
To be in Ashur's temple sacrificed
Chose- instinct led- to commit suicide.
The once possessed but raised his shining face,
From legions and from mob and demons freed,
And sang unto the Lord his thanks and praise,
While sitting at his healer's tired feet.
The man embraced his Savior and his Lord,
A sane man now in boundless gratitude,
And in Decapolis did spread Christ's word,
Which brought in pagan land abundant fruit.
Before Evangelists took up their pen,
And before Paul, Apostle, came on board,
In the Decapolis a pagan man
Proclaimed as universal savior, Christ the Lord.
Mark 5-10
(copyright) Elizabeth Dandy
