Now, Mama Deborah was
a prophet;
she knew what would
happen.
She’d said a woman
was going to get the
job done.
Sisera had been
dreaming of spoils—silver,
and purple garment
plunder,
a woman on each
shoulder—
his mother, so proud.
Until his mighty 900
were swept away
in the torrent of
Kishon,
and he alone, on foot,
found Jael.
And let’s just say
the stars were not
aligned
in his favor.
You’d like some water?
I can do better,
here’s some milk.
Get cozy,
here’s a blanket,
that’s right,
take a load off.
There now,
rest your head—
they may not have
made swords
fitted for feminine
hands,
but trust me, a woman
knows how to get
creative
when she must—
you may feel
a little sting;
this peg, this hammer
are no
small things.
And it happened, just
like Mama said.
© 2014 Jennifer
Wagner
Notes: Deborah was a prophetess and judge (and poet…smiles) in ancient Israel. Sisera was a notorious commander of the army
of the Canaanites who had oppressed the Israelites for many years. Jael was the woman who defeated him by
driving a tent peg through his temple with a hammer, pinning his head to the
ground.
To
read both prose and poetic accounts of the story of these heroines go
here: Judges 4, 5.
