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Woe unto mothers that give preference

To favorite children and withhold rebuke-,

If bad weeds thrive, she need not ask from whence

Derive the gifts that make her child a crook.



His brother Esau came through him to  grief,

Robbed of the Firstborn's Blessing due to him

And blind old Father Isaak was deceived,

Who was so old, his eye sight weak and dim.



But now the blessing mugger had to flee

And leave behind his homestead, friends and mom
And leave behind his land and family,

The comfort of his friends and cherished home.



He left for Paddam Aram hastily,

In fear of Brother  Esau's vengeful hand,

Then served his kinsman Laban patiently,

And  married  Laban's daughters in that land.



True, Jacob served his father's God  indeed,

And took of foreign worship never part,

But cried to God for bail-outs  when in need,

While holding in reserve his mind and heart.



And he atoned for cheating in his house,

For bitter were the jealousies and strives,-

Afflicting Jacob's heart as only spouse,

Of Raquel and of Leah - his two wives.



But Bail-out tricks are not the Lord's affair,

But gimmicks  slick, utilitarian,

That smell of underhanded savoir-faire,

While God desires the whole heart of man.



A penance t'is two wives to entertain,

That jealous of each other fight and feud,

And father Laban in the neck a pain,

Who cheated too, plus being gruff and rude.



Yet Jacob outdid him in craftiness,

But he was rich now and had no more need,

His stay at Haran was a great success,

His pouches with gained assets now replete.



He wished now ardently  to go back  home,

And take possession of the Promised Land,

The land of milk and honey, grapes and pome,

And kiss its earth,its stones. its fields and sand.



He sent his family across the stream

But he himself crossed not, but stayed behind,

Alike a man that searches in a dream

Lost buried treasure that he cannot find.



Deceived he had, his blessing was a fraud,

And soon he would his cheated brother meet,

He had not found the treasure that he sought

What would the future hold he coveted?



In silence thus he sat and wondering,

In fear of Brother Esau and cohort,

What would the meeting with the brother bring?

Would he in vengeance 'gainst him draw the sword?



But in the middle of the star-lit night

A mystery stranger suddenly appeared,

Attacking him and challenging a fight,-

A contest that deft Jacob hardly  feared.



Accustomed to quick victory Jacob fought,

And through the night he wrestled with this foe,

While the mysterious stranger grabbed and caught

Deft Jacob's robe and would not let him go.



The stranger let deft Jacob  almost win,

-A generous move,-  but then asked him his name,

And Jacob who had always winner been

Remembered  aught, - perturbing guilt and shame.



When was the last time he was asked for it?

It was when  Isaak was about to die,

And then egged on by mother's clever  wit

Said: " I am Esau" - cheating with a  lie.



His past to relive Jacob was compelled,

The fleecing wife  and mother egging on,

The blessing's thief and mugger duly felt

A cheating wife and mother's worthy son.  



The wrestling match went on througout the night,

And Jacob seemed to win, - what  splendid feat,-

But then the stranger touched his hip joint 's side.

And Jacob limped,mysteriously hit.

The day break neared: "Give me your blessing! please!

Thus Jacob pled as he had once before,

At father  Isaak's death bed on his knees,-

-His mind replayed the incident of yore.



He wished so much to see the stranger's face.-

The countenance of his adversary,

Who seemed to hold him in an iron brace-

He longed to know his foe's identity.



Perhaps he fought an angel of the Lord,-

Some sages think the pre-incarnate Christ

Did battled with him by the Jabbok's fjord,

And it was Christ who held him mesmerized.



In winning fights deft Jacob was rehearsed,-

For none could match his guile and could resist,

His cleverness, but things were now reversed,

The winner was the strange antagonist.



He let the wrestling Jacob have his way,-

Allowing him to outface him and beat,

To realize at last in disarray

He was defeated,- in a sound defeat !



He felt the injured sinew near the thigh,

The hip-joint  touched by the mysterious  foe,

And Jacob, hurting,  now began to cry:

"I need you, bless me stranger, do not go!"



The face he glimpsed of his adversary

Crushed clever Jacob like a broken reed,

Prostrate, half dead he fell upon his knee,-

And crumpled and surrendered in defeat.



The countenance - more terrible than death,-

He'd glimpse the stranger's face and traits thereof;-

Joy fierce,-deep grief, - unfathomable love

Where in that face, - and Jacob gasped for breath.



And in an instant change came to the cheat,

Another man he was - that did repent,

Amazing grace,- what glorious defeat!

Defeated by the Lord Almighty's hand.



Why did the angel fight with Jacob, why?

Was there a reason for so fierce a bout?

It seems that Jacob felt aught went awry

And God perhaps would stoop and bail him out.



When fruiitless idle bail-outs are denied,
Who will you trust?, to whom entrust your soul?
Let's test your prowess in a wrestling fight,
To learn and find out who is in control.

The heart it is- the heart desires God,
Not worship upon shallow greedy lips,
With bail-out pleas, preposterous and odd,
Instead of loving a relationship.

No longer Jacob tending Laban's well,

But shepherd he turned of a mighty race,

Whose name was altered,- changed to Israel;

Mysterious are the Almighty's ways!



Against the conflagration of the dawn

He limped away to his new destiny,

By the Almighty's index finger drawn

And His mysterious counsel and decree.



And Jacob limped away from Peniel,

A "Poor in Spirit" old man who would nurse

And lead the newborn nation Israel,

And gave to God his heart at this new birth.









Defeat sublime, defeat magnificent!,

To be defeated,- oh what blessed lot !

By the creator's strong providing hand,

Eternal Father,Lord and God.



Explain it as you will, this story is

Consoling and confounding, - both maybe,

Another of God's many mysteries,-

A crook was blessed with a Theophany.



How shall a poet’s pen interpret ever

This extraordinary episode,

No matter how the bard be wise and clever,

He can’t explain a mystery of God.



Are we deemed worthy too of a Theophany?

To battle with the Lord, contend and spar?-

In our soul's dark night we can not see,

But He may whisper softly:" Yes you are!"



It does serve meanwhile as a paradigm

Of scarring, fear, of change and powerlessness,

Of humankind at large, at any time

Until the Lord in mercy wounds to bless.



But if you meet Him in your soul's dark night,

And think Him an adversary or foe,

Cling to Him, grab Him, - hold Him! hold Him tight,

Hold fast, hold fast! and never let Him go!.



Genesis 32.22-32