David's Spring

David's Spring

He's unable to quench his desire 

for his enemy's spring. His guards 

chafe at David's need: They carry 

a pitcher, scale the enemy's walls, 

dodge a sentry, traverse the camp. 

Parched though he drinks water, 

David waits in his royal pavilion. 

"My throat feels awash with ash."

They discover the spring, draw 

from it, and bring the full pitcher. 

David, feverish, reckons the spring 

is like blood, a danger to his soul, 

so he suffers, scorns thirst, pours 

out the pitcher, a libation for God. 

[un/ready-made]

David Fights the Philistines 

     That night, David slumped to the royal

pavilion, parched though he drank water, 

unable to quench his need for the Spring

                    captured by his enemy.

     His guards chafed at David's need:

          They carry a pitcher, scale enemies'

walls, dodge a sentry, traverse the camp. 

His guards discover this Spring, draw

from it, and bring the full pitcher to David. 

          David, though feverish, reckoned

                         that that water

     was alike to blood, danger to his Soul. 

David surmounted his suffering, scorned

his thirst, made the water a libation to God. 

[first version]