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The Beloved
54 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1992
About the author
David Helwig
114 books8 followersDavid Helwig was a Canadian editor, essayist, memoirist, novelist, poet, short story writer and translator.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 21, 2022
Alone as the pink dawn clouds
pale to grey-white
or as the sun falls
in all its gold.
The silly sheep
and the sound of his harp,
cold nights of the lambing.
In the long shapeless dark
he must listen for predators, thieves.
Listen. Listen. Listen.
A band of marauding angels -
the wind of their swift wings.
* * *
The Rembrandt version: David's hair
long and thick and golden and bound in gold,
his weeping head on the chest
on a Jonathan who's older, turbaned,
with Rembrandt's fat, pained, knowing face.
The wrong part of the story, some have said.
This is David reconciled
with his golden son, his rebel Absolom.
Either way, the artist watches
the young and wanton and blessed.
And binds beatitude in paint.
* * *
The irritable spastic
jerks, the lurching heaviness,
the boiling vowels
and slurred breath,
the hooked convulsive resistance
of the soldier
impaled on a spear.
(after Tolstoi)
These men, these running men
who are coming, running
at me, these men, these weaponed,
sworded, metal-bound, fierce,
wild-eyed, blood-mad running men,
so many, so close, and closer,
screaming, enraged, these men
believe that I am the enemy.
*
The orders simple enough
and suitably categorical.
God says it clearly and suddenly.
But there is always one
foolish stubborn bad child
who will not close his eyes
or look away
to be killed.
* * *
Betrayal within the walls
of the king's house,
and betrayal of food and kindness
for a thin and rancid lust.
We have a little sister,
her ways familiar,
the intimate history of skin
and tiny bones and childish tears.
I must have her, the beautiful half-sibling.
Malingering, he draws the king
his father to his sly purpose.
Tamar comes to feed the invalid
and when she lies hurt and used,
a smear of blood on her thigh,
hatred rises in him like puke.
Silence and desolation
walk beside her through the house
of Absolom herb rother.
There will be revenge.
There will be
more blood.
* * *
The nomads achieved an empire
but God's temper was no better
and he would still torment
David, his old accomplice,
even in his age. Hobson's choice:
famine, defeat, or plague.
Seven, the all-but-last
of the house of Saul
sent to be hanged
in the time of harvest
at God's urgent suggestion.
The Philistines recur
with a whole family of giants.
A six-fingered and six-toed
son of Goliath fell.
They all fell.
David grew older
and they made a list
of the acts of his mighty men.
pale to grey-white
or as the sun falls
in all its gold.
The silly sheep
and the sound of his harp,
cold nights of the lambing.
In the long shapeless dark
he must listen for predators, thieves.
Listen. Listen. Listen.
A band of marauding angels -
the wind of their swift wings.
- Shepherd Boy, pg. 7
* * *
The Rembrandt version: David's hair
long and thick and golden and bound in gold,
his weeping head on the chest
on a Jonathan who's older, turbaned,
with Rembrandt's fat, pained, knowing face.
The wrong part of the story, some have said.
This is David reconciled
with his golden son, his rebel Absolom.
Either way, the artist watches
the young and wanton and blessed.
And binds beatitude in paint.
- Farewell, pg. 16
* * *
The irritable spastic
jerks, the lurching heaviness,
the boiling vowels
and slurred breath,
the hooked convulsive resistance
of the soldier
impaled on a spear.
(after Tolstoi)
These men, these running men
who are coming, running
at me, these men, these weaponed,
sworded, metal-bound, fierce,
wild-eyed, blood-mad running men,
so many, so close, and closer,
screaming, enraged, these men
believe that I am the enemy.
*
The orders simple enough
and suitably categorical.
God says it clearly and suddenly.
But there is always one
foolish stubborn bad child
who will not close his eyes
or look away
to be killed.
- Acts of War, pg. 26-27
* * *
Betrayal within the walls
of the king's house,
and betrayal of food and kindness
for a thin and rancid lust.
We have a little sister,
her ways familiar,
the intimate history of skin
and tiny bones and childish tears.
I must have her, the beautiful half-sibling.
Malingering, he draws the king
his father to his sly purpose.
Tamar comes to feed the invalid
and when she lies hurt and used,
a smear of blood on her thigh,
hatred rises in him like puke.
Silence and desolation
walk beside her through the house
of Absolom herb rother.
There will be revenge.
There will be
more blood.
- Amnon, pg. 42
* * *
The nomads achieved an empire
but God's temper was no better
and he would still torment
David, his old accomplice,
even in his age. Hobson's choice:
famine, defeat, or plague.
Seven, the all-but-last
of the house of Saul
sent to be hanged
in the time of harvest
at God's urgent suggestion.
The Philistines recur
with a whole family of giants.
A six-fingered and six-toed
son of Goliath fell.
They all fell.
David grew older
and they made a list
of the acts of his mighty men.
- Later Days, pg. 49
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