The Sacrifice of Isaac

(The Sacrifice of Isaac (Rembrandt) - found here)

God told Abraham—Kill your son for me—& they
climbed Mount Moriah so there would be a great
distance of rock—cloud—shadow & light to be sliced in
two—& the perplexing covenant might come to mind as
you stare toward the blue horizon

The knife seems to fall forever
as Abraham (looking like an old man Rembrandt
frequently sketched) palms the bound youth’s face
with a large determined hand to shield him from the
sight

The knife seems to fall forever
giving you time to think of bloody Passover—of Jesus
as sacrificial lamb—of what kind of god would ask so
much & what kind of father could do it (as a
windblown angel seizes the old man’s wrist)

Then you notice the eyes—bloodshot & observant
of a ram caught in a thicket—This is no happy ending
Three centuries after Rembrandt
the knife still falls

~D. S. Martin