Testament



King David on his dying bed
gave Solomon this tip –
if you desire to keep the throne
kill Joab. Leadership

means Shimei’s gray hairs too must be
dispatched to Sheol, before
he has a chance even to think
of settling our old score.

Some priestly scribe has added in
some bits about how Sol
should also walk the ways of God
and all that rigmarole

but the older text is crystal clear –
his last words mark the loss
of a one-time hero, long since morphed
into a Mafia boss.

Tom Vaughan


If you have any thoughts about this poem, Tom Vaughan    would be pleased to hear them