F o u r   P r o p h e t s



I.  Prologue


There were only four women,
separate in time and place,
all aware of their mission:
to speak the words in their heads,
facing others with visions
of victory or defeat.
Three are remembered;
one is ignored.



II.  Miriam (Exodus)


I preserved his life and 
gave him his mother's breast, 
but he forgot about that.

Heavy of mouth (and brain),
we spoke speeches for him;
then they forgot my part.

I told the words I heard,
which he forgot to write
in the book.  He thought them
his own revelations.

I gave them all water;
it always followed me,
and saved them all.  When I
died, that they remembered,
because then, it left them.



III.  Devorah (Judges 4 & 5)


Every day I sat under the tree
settling disputes, easing abrasions.
And then they came, uprooting the trees,
leaving us without harvest or hope

Then I heard the words in my head, and
called to Barak, speaking them to him.
But he was unready, fearing loss.

Sisera was no wolf, and I said
he shall fall to the most defenseless:
a lone woman in her tent, only
protected by hospitality.

Barak’s fears fell before my words, and
Sisera fell to Yael’s hammer,
and I sang for us to remember.



IV.  Hulda (II Kings 22:14-20)


Once they thought it strange that I
Would prefer the study house, 
debating ideas for
the new world forming around
our cares, and we, hard at it,
began to make that life live.
I  was good at it, and they
heard my heart felt passions pour
from mouth and mind, believing
I heard the other world speak.

They called me prophet, but I 
preferred scholar, knower of
important things, seer of truth.
I rose in reputation,
So when the king came to me,
I bowed low and told my sight:

The scroll speaks obligation;
We must listen.  Holy words
are not to be denied.  Read 
them to the people, make them
everyone’s scripture and law.
And so it came to pass.



V.  Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14)



I spoke for the voice of my visions;
physical beauty enhanced my words.
That was when they all came to me,
asking about my dream knowledge.

Who was favored? By whom? Wall builders?
The far away king? How should we go?
I said what was put in my sight
by the call of that other world.

Some heard my words and remembered them,
but not kindly: The great king was far
but not removed; our new walls were
fraught with our worry about him.

Was not the reborn Temple enough,
A place to gather all the people,
to renew our community,
to live at peace with the others?



VI. Epilogue


There were four of us hearing voices
and seeing dreams, when they came to us.
We spoke, as we were charged, when we
were asked for our sight.  Our duty
was to speak our visions, confronting
questions put to us by our people.

We had no choice; the other world
commanded us and we complied.
Three of us are remembered and
revered; the fourth is remembered,
but ignored, or branded as false.