Analysis of Billy be-jiggered and his Bible

Douglas Blair 1951 (London)



I’ll tell ye boys
Storm up dere is a howling.
Your next shift on deck
Forty five minutes.
Terrified huh?
Well listen will ye
To that Jonah account.
God’s prophet.
Go to villainous Ninevah.
Preach repentance.
You gotta be kidding Boss.
They’re a horrible bunch.
Took a ship opposite direction.
Outrun God?
His plans?
Not a chance chicken -shit.
Storm rises up. Real bad one.
Superstitious mates toss out
The ornery prophet.
Swallowed up whole
By a stinking whale.
Three days in cramped muck.
Spat out on some beach.
Repentance returned
The Dead.
Don’t mess with the Lord.
His will and pointing Finger.
P.S. Ninevah heard him preach
Got turned around.
God’s mercy handed out.
Saved. Whole bunch of folks
And their critters too.
That’s the Tale
Man and whale.
(Returning Billy to his squeeze box.
Billows a-singing.
Ever so sweet.
Little buttons scampering.)
All Belowdecks much bettered.

ADAM AND EVE SCREWED UP
had a good thing going
Partners va-va voom.
Greenest living room.
And Man, he named the beasts.
Dominion had, released.
But snakes got in the way
One Law by God held sway
The Tree of Men’s Knowledge
And fruit.
Resist that food, galoot.
The Tree of Life from me.
A most delightful feed.
Now choose my Man, your Mate and
The hellish Serpent hate.
But they heard. Did otherwise.
Kings in their own eyes.
Pity…pretty shitty.
Outcome.
Planet still reeling.
There it is me boys.
Closing the Book.

JESUS, SON OF GOD
Just plain pissed people off.
The movers and shakers and priests.
Who fouled up each Jewish feast.
And laid out the guilt.
Not Peace.
The Master knew all
Of their sham.
And named Himself GREAT I AM.
Addressing with images rare.
The Light, the True Vine, the Door
Living Water, The Shepherd Good.
Simplicity understand.
By people who
Would watch as He bled.
Can you get that Laddies.
The assured high and mighty think.
The Lord has a stink.
Now stop, Billy me Lad.
Jesus erases all bad.

SODOM IS BELLY UP
TERRIBLE place it was.
Yet Lot lived there with
Wife and two girls.
All around, a filthy Town
With sins of sex awhirl.
Tried to stay apart but
Those devils pressed
With their Sin PACKAGES.
Then some Angels
Tall sturdy handsome
Come for visiting.
“Lot we are directed
To escort you OUT.
Fire coming big time
Nothing will remain.
God is mighty ticked.
Time gentlemen time.”
But Lot’s Wife messed up.
Looked back at the flames.
As if something there
Held her.
Stupid girl.
Turned into salt. Her own fault.
Remember when you
Leave a Cesspool, Guys
Eyes forward. OK.
And hold your breath.
Amen.

RUTH WAS WIDOWED.
Not of the Hebrew line
Mother in law Naomi
Different story.
Nothing to do but return
To Bethlehem
(House of Bread).
Elder and younger
Adhering like glue
In Love and Trust.
Ruth hit some fields.
Gleaning.
Farmer-statesman Boaz.
The love interest.
Ready to do the
Deeds of Kinsman-Redeemer.
Estate, baby
No ifs or maybes.
God loves His women.


Scheme ABXXCDEFGXXXHIXXHJFKLXMXNXOMXJXPLLXBXBX QBRRSTUUXXEDXXXVVDRBAX IGSTXXXRRWXXXPNAXXYY QXXXXKFXXXRBXJRXXRQXWOXXPVUXX XXDDXRNOPZXBXZCODAH
Poetic Form
Metre 1111 1111010 11111 10110 101 11011 111001 110 111001 1010 1101101 101001 101100010 011 11 101101 1101111 010111 010010 1011 10101 11011 11111 01001 01 11101 1101010 11111 1101 110101 11111 01101 101 101 010101111 10010 1011 1010100 11110 100111 101110 10111 10101 011101 010101 111001 111111 011110 01 01111 011111 010101 1111110 010101 111110 10111 10101 1 10110 11111 1001 10111 111101 01001001 1111101 01101 11 01011 111 0101111 01011001 0101101 10100101 010001 1101 11111 11111 00110101 01101 111011 1001011 101101 100111 11111 1011 1010101 11111 111011 1101 111100 1110 11010 11100 111010 10111 101011 10101 11101 11001 11111 11101 11101 10 101 1011011 01011 1011 11011 0111 01 1110 110101 1001010 10010 1011101 110 111 10010 01011 0101 1111 1 101010 0110 10110 1111 0110 1111 11110
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 2,956
Words 620
Sentences 97
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 39, 22, 20, 29, 19
Lines Amount 129
Letters per line (avg) 17
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 448
Words per stanza (avg) 101
Font size:
 

Written on February 03, 2023

Submitted by dougb.72572 on February 03, 2023

Modified by dougb.72572 on February 03, 2023

3:06 min read
20

Douglas Blair

Blogging poems since 2008. Once a lawyer in general practice. Then 32 years as Shipper in a heavy metal fabricating plant. Retired 2022. Married and father of two. Poet. Hiker. Harmonica Busker. Gospel enthusiast. Photographer. http://shootdempix.blogspot.com/ more…

All Douglas Blair poems | Douglas Blair Books

4 fans

Discuss this Douglas Blair poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Billy be-jiggered and his Bible" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/149850/billy-be-jiggered-and-his-bible>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    4
    days
    22
    hours
    36
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who was “admirably schooled in every grace”?
    A Odysseus
    B Miniver Cheevy
    C Richard Cory
    D J. Alfred Prufrock