Poem January 2, 1954 Issue

"WHAT HAST THOU IN THE HOUSE?"

Adelaide Rothenberg

"The creditor," I cried unto the seer,
"now challenges the freedom of my sons,
for he seeks to take them from me to be slaves."
Unjust I deemed my pitiable plight
(the widow of a man who worshiped God),
while unaware of all that I had gleaned
of heavenly good.

Oh, but the prophet knew!
"What shall I do for thee?" he wisely asked;
"what hast thou in the house?" And I replied
that I had nought of worth within the house
except (now I recalled) a pot of oil.

Obedient to Elisha's clear command,
I shut the door upon myself and sons
and took within the vessels from abroad
and poured, and poured, and poured the precious oil
until each empty vessel had been filled.
And then, according to the prophet's word,
I sold the oil and paid my lingering debt
rejoicingly, And ever after that
the brimming oil provided every need.

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THE WILL OF GOD
January 2, 1954
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