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"My friend job", the god said, "loves me"            And the tempter replied,” because he has it good,     He has health and fortune and a family he loves.       Why would he not love you?" "Are you saying?" started god The tempter interrupted: "Take away the goodness he has received And he will curse god and cry." The god contemplated these words                  And thought to give the tempter leeway To try job, to put him to the test as he had once before   But he could not. "God does not play dice."                                                                    The tempter returned to god the following day, Knowing that he had struck a sensitive chord. As many years earlier, he had succeeded         In tempting god, in striking doubt In that all-knowing mind. "Do you wonder what would happen To your friend job if like his ancient namesake, He lost his fame, his fortune, his good name? Is it time to test him as you did your other friends?"   "I would like to test him," said the god             "Because I know that he too will pass the test    As did the others in earlier times.    But can I test him without other men       Thinking me a capricious god?"    "Does it matter," asked the tempter,       "after Auschwitz when other friends of yours   were decimated in the showers of hell?            Can man think worse of you?"   The god thought about that and answered: “Is it only man’s opinion of me that I fear        Or would I lose my sense of justice?”     Maybe I should allow you to test my friend job.          It is good to confirm what I know.            You will realize that I know and that job is good."      The tempter remained silent.        Michael stood nearby and said to himself:        "What justice is there in this test?                    How can this seem right to job?"            "I heard you," said the god,                              "do you think it seemed right to Abraham? Was it right to test Lot and Jonah? And if not, why did you participate willingly?"   "If you wronged Abraham and Job's namesake long ago,        Does it make it right to wrong this man today?" thought Michael as silently as he could. “Does it make a difference that even my opinions      And attitudes change?”   "Do you think that I cannot hear what you are thinking?" asked the god.                                                                      The tempter smiled. He accepted the free hand He was given. True, he was not permitted to Cause Job bodily harm, but his studies had shown him That with many people, especially those who Tried to bring themselves close to the god, Physical pain was not most effective. Had he not shown that even Michael was a skeptic, Not trusting the god's sense of justice, Michael, who had helped the god test Abraham and Lot, Michael, who always stood by the god, Michael, who was, he admitted, the god's favourite.   The tempter smiled. Both Michael and the god saw. Michael wanted to cry, but he had no tears, The god, as usual, saw himself in a paradox.              He realized that it did not matter if job passed the test, Because he, the god had failed again.                        The world that he had created was, as his companions said, A cruel place, and it was not enough even if              Job loved him with an open heart and a generous mind.   Perhaps, then he should not allow the test now? Would that be fair to job's namesake? Would it be fair to Moses and the others he had tested? Would it be just for those like Bilam who had failed the test            Notwithstanding his sometime interference?                           The tempter helped job; He filled his house with riches. Not only were there all the things he craved, But he was given the ability to sing. He was given the talent to write. He was given the skills to paint and sculpt. Job's children too were given skills and talents. The tempter, as always, was proud of his work.   And then, la déluge.                    Job’s wealth withered away, apparently without reason. Job blamed himself for his own pride,              Not reading the economic news carefully, Not understanding the tea leaves. Job gave more to charity, Knowing that he had to help his god In these miserable times.   Job’s friends, busy, living, Did not notice what was happening to Job, That Job’s opportunities had disintegrated, That Job’s mind was rented by strangers.                  Job kept on trying, not realizing that his efforts Were being sabotaged by the tempter, Wondered why nothing worked to help his business,   Neither the tried and true methods, Nor the creative and innovative ones.   Yet Job refused to abandon the god Who created him, his world, his understanding, His willingness to help others. And the tempter filled job’s heart with love, He found Job a new, a most appropriate mate. Job’s creativity flourished And Job’s fortunes again increased And his dreams expanded And he felt that there were no limits, Job was not proud; he thanked the god.   The tempter knew that this was his opportunity, Abruptly, before Job could realize it, His fortunes disappeared, His hopes started to wither, He doubted himself.   Unlike the story with his namesake, Whose wife and children died, Job’s children questioned him, And Job was left without a reply.   His children realized that not all was right And yet, what could they say? They did not know his mind, They did not know his heart, They did not know the tempter. Then his beloved became ill, A sickness without remedy, Pain was her constant companion, Her every movement a silent hurt.   Job prayed to the god and asked him To deliver her from the pain. And the god was silent. Job prayed to the god and asked him To help revive his fortunes And the god was silent. And job thought “the god does not play dice.” And job spoke to the god, saying. “god, so mighty and compassionate, who gives freedom to people, abandon freedom for a moment and let me carry her disease, her pain.” The god, who had been his friend, remained silent.   Job heard the echo of his namesake’s friends: “Job, job, this change in fortune is your fault, You have been overly proud of your achievements. You have praised yourself and taken credit. You have not given credit to the god, You have not given enough to others, poorer than you.” And job know that there was some truth to this, He had been proud and thought himself responsible For his success, for his fortune.   Yet he could not believe that the change in fortune Was all his fault, his responsibility. He heard the echoing voices say: “Curse the god, who plays dice with your life.” And job refused to blame the god. Job thought that perhaps there was nobody to blame  but the world was not a world of happenstance                                                             Without order, without reason, without sense.           Job loved the god and he trusted his judgment,         He also trusted his own judgement, and yet ….   The god looked at his friend job, hurt and powerless, And felt compassion, but what was the sense in compassion When it was not accompanied with consequences. But that was the way man saw the world he had created, A world in which justice did not prevail, A world in which compassion did not prevail, A world in which mercy did not prevail.   The god looked at job’s ancient namesake’s first wife Who was killed for the sake of the tempter’s test. Even has his namesake deserved the test, What had she done, what had her children done To deserve capital punishment? There had been no Abraham to defend her       As he had tried to save the just people of Sodom. And she had died. And now his friend’s beloved Was struck with illness and pain that she did not deserve…   Was this different from his just friends who Were slaughtered in the Holocaust?                                      Maybe the tempter had been correct when he said That he had allowed injustice to prevail. But did he really have a different option After he had transferred freedom of choice to man? Had he not abdicated his throne of power? Yet he had never claimed to abandon mercy. He had agreed not to destroy the world as he did in with the flood, He had agreed to Moses’ request not to destroy Israel.   Were these not agreements based on compassion? And yet he had also allowed the tempter to test his friend job. Was this compassion, was this providence? Was this protection, was this justice? “be holy,” he had told his people, “as I am holy” Had he been holy?   His friend Job had not understood creation, His friend Job had not understood his power Had he?

The sound of the surf as background music, The sea breeze whispering old love poems in my ear, The sunlight playing on your face, smiling At my request... You crack the crab, take the meat, Dip it in the butter and raise it to my lips, I kiss your slippery, seasoned fingertips. • Donovan Baldwin

I have no arrows in my quiver, But only words. While words can wound, heal, Soothe, frighten, cajole, And a thousand things more, Words cannot tell the longing Which rests cold and unrelenting In my heart. If only words could tell How much light has left my life, How much pleasure has gone From each day, Then I would be the king of words, But, A pauper when it comes To peace and love. So, like a hunter without his arrows, I must seek the light and pleasure, Without a way to find them, Or to tell, The keeper of that light and pleasure, What they meant to me, And still mean, Even as I languish, Unable to speak and break the spell. If only words could tell, And hearts could hear. • Donovan Baldwin

I often see discussions, or comments, about what makes us humans different from all the other critters out there. One will say it's the ability to love, and then I'll see something that sure seems like love in some "beast"... or, sadly, a human that doesn't seem to get the "love" stuff. I'll read that it's our ability to create beauty. But, then I realize that "beauty" is what we, our little group of "us", believe it to be. In fact, we create a concept of "beauty" and THEN identify stuff, or people, that meet that concept's parameters. I see, hear, that we are human because we think, create, fantasize, dream, plan, construct, etc. ad infinitum. Somewhat confusing, yet, we seem to be able to recognize another "human" when we meet... usually. I sometimes wonder, often somewhere in the second glass of wine, if it's NOT that we do, or have the potential to do, all that... and more... including the "etc." Maybe it's the fact we're such damned individualistic, bonded, collaborative, idealistic, pragmatic, realistic, imaginative... whew... generalists. We can turn our puny hands (with their opposable thumbs), and our impossibly outrageous minds to damn near anything. Don't know. Just thinking out loud. Maybe I'll come up with a bright idea later. More coffee, please. ----- • Donovan Baldwin

Writers from unknown lands Different language, Different clothes, Different customs, Different religions, Goes without saying, Atheists always different, Yet like me, friend, Or friendly enemy, Because we both Write and understand. • Donovan Baldwin I often run foreign language poems through Google Translate. The words may not be perfect, but I get so many beautiful ideas from the thoughts of other writers who write in another language.

My brain is in overdrive Rivved and firing fully Creating beauty everywhere Spreading light and love My passions are escaping The confines where they enprisoned strangled Emerging into the light Many thoughts and feelings Swirling like subway cars Passing from brain to body And back again Such is the power of poetry Creating powerful images Passed like invisible touches From one soul to another Never again into darkness Will i subject my dreams But like nectar they quench The longings of my soul

How can I tell this tale In ways that make it clear When its not clear yet to me But I know love awaits When yet a girl I fell in love Exciting, enticing Spicy love A real gift from above In retrospect this love of mine May have been one-sided I since learned dear Dad of mine Saw this but kept it quiet I wish he’d told me what he saw How he wished for me much more His special girl should be a queen Not just an object to be demeaned Across the land, plains and hills There comes a love for me anew At long last someone with whom to share Poetry and love and happiness