for Robert Ross

Was I so drunk I failed
to recognize my own son's wife?
I had them think so
but the truth is otherwise
seeing her standing at the crossroads there
her face half hidden with a veil
I felt for the first time
how deeply I'd wronged her
even as I also feared
for my last son
and so I chose
to play along with the charade
and afterwards gave her the staff
so she could prove her innocence
precious Tamar
now mother of twin sons
looking back I see it just as one
more instance of His way
of playing us
for purposes eluding our poor reason
our petty efforts to control the course
and meaning of our lives
how vast His heaven
and how far beyond us!
even His angels live in ignorance
of the subtle ways He works His will
both in the world beyond
and here on earth
to imagine we could catch Him
with our words
would be to to think that we could hook
on our weak lines
the great Leviathan