Who is this Jesus that I hear about?
Working wonders gathering the crowds
I do not have such powers to heal
Such popularity
He is different from John I hear
I hear he likes a beer
Ruler of two kingdoms
By grace of Roman law
Galilee and Perea are his fief
A cruel man but curious
John’s words made him think
But power is toxic
To his brother he’s a thief
Keen to see this Jesus
Not to meet you understand
Meeting implies equality of power
No – seeing him will do
To satisfy his wish
A wish come true
When Jesus meets his hour
‘Tell that fox’ a quote we get from Jesus
An accurate description of the man
For Herod the tetrarch was a slippery customer
A man to fear he’d stab you in the back
Unsure and unreliable such people can destroy
He played with John as if he were a toy
Here today he features in the Gospel
A walk on part in Jesus’ busy life
He’ll feature at the end when friends with Pilate
He watches as the Lord is done to death
A life of family quarrels
Power struggles
Brought down by his nephew in the end
Went to live in exile
With Herodias
His kingdom gone
So near to kingdom come
Brian Fahy
23 September 2021
Erris Poetry 