Those two boys… what do you see?
Walkingdownvimy@gmail.com
Write to me. Tell me what you see?
I had a head start (I’ll wait here while you finish figuring out if I meant to pun)
So, someone sent this image to me, and asked me to choose between the three.
The one I chose was that one up there.
It’s David and Jonathon. Known for being good friends.
The two boys, are ladidahdaylee walking home from fishing all after noon. Look, you’ll see! There in the one boy’s hand is the day’s catch! His fishing rod is loosely slung over his shoulder. And his friend is carrying his lightly hanging at his side.
I haven’t looked at the background… I’ll be right back….
They’re boys! Young joys! Innocence. Carefree.
They are on a winding road, gradually ascending. Is that two kingdoms I see? Two castles? One set on a hill, a bastion ensconced up high. Is that a look tower there in that one? Is that a church steeple I see in the other?
Wait Wait Wait! You say! That’s no fish! That’s a human head! Its eyes are open! That’s no fish rod! It’s a sword! And he’s holding by the wrong end! He’ll cut himself !!! And the other!? It’s an archer’s arrow!
What is the meaning of the open toed socks?
So back now to what you see! That first thing we saw was the vulgar? Horror? That head! Juxtaposition? It seems out of place.
Those details, they aren’t red herrings.
They aren’t illusions they are allusions.
David and Goliath – 1 Samuel 17
David and Jonathon – 1 Samuel 20
Poetry.
It means what it means, what the poet meant? Right?
But it is a window on my soul. So there’s no correct answer here. What you see is your Rorschach test.
And here is my soul.
1 Samuel 17 the innocent young boy David, outraged by that uncircumcised Philistine… brought the giant down, with a small stone and sling! He ran and ….
51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.
…so now, let’s turn from head, to the sword. He’s holding it by the tip! I won’t belabour this any longer. It’s nothing for David to fear. A harmless souvenir of the battle!
We know David took Goliath’s sword!
8 David asked Ahimelek, “Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s mission was urgent.”
9 The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.”
It was not the weapon, not that sword that brought down. The sword – like the head – is a trophy!
To be continued…..
The Two Kingdoms
In the book of Samuel we read that the king of Israel, Saul, disobeyed God, and his throne was taken away. Yet he remained.
David is anointed as the new King.
Saul at first accepted David, but eventually became jealous, and sought to kill him.
That arrow
Saul had kids, and one of them was Jonathan. He’s the other one in that picture. David holds the head, Jonathan, the arrow.
In 1 Samuel 20 you’ll find the story of the arrow. Jonathon is King Saul’s son. By helping David, he is thwarting his father’s ambition. On the normal progression of things, Saul’s son would succeed him. This makes Jonathan and David’s friendship and bond all the more incredible.
Running Down Vimy 