"The Children of Israel Crossing the Red Sea" by Frédéric Schopin‘The Red Sea’ and Other Poetry by Jeffrey Essmann The Society October 19, 2022 Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry 11 Comments . The Red Sea From quite far off we smelled its salt And now stand stunned upon its shore. We stare into the writhing vault Where Moses sees a corridor. It seems there were not graves enough In Egypt so that now it’s rough And shallow holes of bloodied sand That we can claim as Promised Land. We’re called now to be bold and brave (A steady wind comes from the east…), Called all as prophet and as priest. But me, inside I’m still a slave: I see the sea, it starts to climb —But will it open up on time? . . The Waiting Room __It’s mostly men, as usual. __We humbly wait, our plumbing gone awry In ways arcane and medical, And dare not science nor the odds defy ____Nor Medicare’s benign largess ____(Both Part A and Part B). Some just leave fluids, some are taking tests, While I prepare for when he queries me How many times a night I have to pee. . . Jeffrey Essmann is an essayist and poet living in New York. His poetry has appeared in numerous magazines and literary journals, among them Agape Review, America Magazine, Dappled Things, the St. Austin Review, U.S. Catholic, Grand Little Things, Heart of Flesh Literary Journal, and various venues of the Benedictine monastery with which he is an oblate. He is editor of the Catholic Poetry Room page on the Integrated Catholic Life website. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 11 Responses Cynthia Erlandson October 19, 2022 Reading these was such a great way to start the day, Jeffrey. The contrast between the two made me smile. “The Red Sea” is beautiful in its portrayal of what the character is thinking and feeling. “Where Moses saw a corridor” is an absolutely brilliant line. And I like the way you played with the rhyme scheme. The humor of “The Waiting Room” is delightful. Reply Jeffrey Essmann October 19, 2022 Thanks so much, Cynthia. I’m afraid I can’t take credit for the rhymer or, for that matter, the meter. It’s the Pushkin sonnet form, which I find perfect for pieces that call for some formal disorientation. Again, thanks so much for your kind comments. Happy to have kicked off your day. Jeffrey Reply Jeremiah Johnson October 19, 2022 Jeffrey, I like the note of personal honesty and acknowledgement of our own frailty as humans here. We truly are dependent creatures, beholden to our Maker for any fortitude and grace we have. Reply Jeremiah Johnson October 19, 2022 P.S. – I also like the tetrameter on that sonnet and the tighter presentation it affords. Reply Brian Yapko October 19, 2022 Jeffrey, I really admire your Red Sea poem which does a terrific job of retelling the story of the parting of the Red Sea from the perspective of someone whose faith is a bit shaky yet hopeful. The line “But me, inside, I’m still a slave” is particularly touching and observant after the call to be bold and brave. This is relatable and beautiful. Reply Allegra Silberstein October 19, 2022 Your Red Sea poem was very moving told with such honesty by one of the participants . Thanks…Allegra Reply Anna J. Arredondo October 19, 2022 Jeffrey, I’m really impressed by how much you packed into the fourteen lines of The Red Sea. You managed to develop the intensity of feeling in the narrator as well as incorporate some of the specifics from the biblical account — not enough graves in Egypt, the wind from the east, etc. Well done! My favorite lines are “We stare into the writhing vault Where Moses sees a corridor.” The second poem made me smile. I also learned something from your comment; I hadn’t heard of the Pushkin sonnet form. Reply Sally Cook October 20, 2022 Profundity and humor – who could ask for more? Reply Paul Freeman October 20, 2022 Theology and funology. A fine mix. Thanks for the reads, Jeffrey. Reply Margaret Coats October 20, 2022 Jeffrey, the form of “The Red Sea” is very tight indeed, to include the whole story as if known in advance by the speaker. Characterization of him (as somewhere between hope and doubt) is achieved through precise wording and placement of lines that flow like the disoriented consciousness of a life-and-death situation. A poem showing considerable artistic skill! Reply Jeffrey Essmann October 20, 2022 Thanks so much, Margaret! Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Cynthia Erlandson October 19, 2022 Reading these was such a great way to start the day, Jeffrey. The contrast between the two made me smile. “The Red Sea” is beautiful in its portrayal of what the character is thinking and feeling. “Where Moses saw a corridor” is an absolutely brilliant line. And I like the way you played with the rhyme scheme. The humor of “The Waiting Room” is delightful. Reply
Jeffrey Essmann October 19, 2022 Thanks so much, Cynthia. I’m afraid I can’t take credit for the rhymer or, for that matter, the meter. It’s the Pushkin sonnet form, which I find perfect for pieces that call for some formal disorientation. Again, thanks so much for your kind comments. Happy to have kicked off your day. Jeffrey Reply
Jeremiah Johnson October 19, 2022 Jeffrey, I like the note of personal honesty and acknowledgement of our own frailty as humans here. We truly are dependent creatures, beholden to our Maker for any fortitude and grace we have. Reply
Jeremiah Johnson October 19, 2022 P.S. – I also like the tetrameter on that sonnet and the tighter presentation it affords. Reply
Brian Yapko October 19, 2022 Jeffrey, I really admire your Red Sea poem which does a terrific job of retelling the story of the parting of the Red Sea from the perspective of someone whose faith is a bit shaky yet hopeful. The line “But me, inside, I’m still a slave” is particularly touching and observant after the call to be bold and brave. This is relatable and beautiful. Reply
Allegra Silberstein October 19, 2022 Your Red Sea poem was very moving told with such honesty by one of the participants . Thanks…Allegra Reply
Anna J. Arredondo October 19, 2022 Jeffrey, I’m really impressed by how much you packed into the fourteen lines of The Red Sea. You managed to develop the intensity of feeling in the narrator as well as incorporate some of the specifics from the biblical account — not enough graves in Egypt, the wind from the east, etc. Well done! My favorite lines are “We stare into the writhing vault Where Moses sees a corridor.” The second poem made me smile. I also learned something from your comment; I hadn’t heard of the Pushkin sonnet form. Reply
Paul Freeman October 20, 2022 Theology and funology. A fine mix. Thanks for the reads, Jeffrey. Reply
Margaret Coats October 20, 2022 Jeffrey, the form of “The Red Sea” is very tight indeed, to include the whole story as if known in advance by the speaker. Characterization of him (as somewhere between hope and doubt) is achieved through precise wording and placement of lines that flow like the disoriented consciousness of a life-and-death situation. A poem showing considerable artistic skill! Reply
