In the Days Before Purim

Based upon the Book of Esther and imagination both

 

In the days before Purim in Shushan of old 

Esther diplomatic and Mordechai bold 

Marshalled their skills a danger to thwart 

Mordechai went to temple Esther to court 

The women’s court, that is 

Esther with the harem Mordechai with the Jews 

Both were determined to prevent the worst news 

Their strength and skills to activate  

To foil Haman's plan of hate 

A plan endorsed by folly royal 

This they had to counter and foil 

Mordechai with his co-religionists sat 

Appropriate now his head kept his hat 

From his heart came his earnest despair 

The group sent up its most truthful prayer 

Beseeching God’s help to foil Haman’s plot 

That their lives may be spared worthy or not 

 

Meanwhile Esther in the women’s court 

Sat everyone down and gave her report 

To all the harem she came out as a Jew 

A fact it seemed they already knew 

Esther revealed her demographic affiliation 

And Haman’s plan for the Jews’ annihilation  

How her husband the king gave his endorsement 

How she was now tasked to break its enforcement 

No one in the harem was the least bit surprised 

Some were quite covered but never their eyes 

All knew the nature of the fool on the throne 

And the rotten complicity to which he was prone 

And the evil that lurked in the heart of his Prime 

Minister who’d mislead him into gross crime 

 

With Esther and the Jews the women gladly stood 

They wanted to help her and do what they could 

Assorted ideas were tossed round the room 

How could they stop the mean plan of doom 

And how could Esther preserve her own life 

Navigating as the foolish king’s wife 

Encumbered with laws and penalties grave 

Required that Esther be both skilled and brave 

If she could turn the tables and come out alive 

Haman's villainy curtailed and the Jews to survive 

That would be a big victory sweet 

And send royal corruption into retreat 

When a strategy emerged they began to rehearse 

To guide the king’s thinking the plot to reverse 

Deceptively she would not rock the boat 

'Til self-incrimination came from Haman’s own throat 

Their hours telling stories now seemed well spent 

Through Esther’s smooth skill the plot would be bent 

Is it true that Vashti appeared in the court 

Well disguised she’d snuck in to give Esther support

 

Meanwhile at temple Mordechai and the Jews 

Fasted and prayed to ward off bad news 

Tomorrow Esther will visit the king 

But is that not a dangerous thing 

Royal etiquette she will have to break  

That was a risk she would have to take 

The wicked minister and the docile king 

Have made our world a dangerous thing 

So self-defense and all it entailed 

Would be at the ready if diplomacy failed 

 

But the pitfalls of self-defense did emerge 

Legitimate and excess seemed to converge 

And vengeance in their words appeared 

For Haman’s plot was so deeply feared 

While faith in Esther and in God as well 

Was not as strong I’m sorry to tell 

The wisest voices talked self-defense alone 

But shallow thinkers to vengeance were prone 

Would there be triumph or would there be sorrow 

Each in their own way prepared for the morrow 

 

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