Jacqueline Jules
The City of Sodom
Abraham was not Noah,
content to save his family
while everyone else drowned.
Abraham argued for Sodom.
Is this justice from the Judge
of the world, that the righteous
be dealt the same blow as the guilty?
Abraham bargained.
Will You save Sodom
for 50 innocent lives?
What about 45?
40? 30? 20? 15?
In the end, they settled.
Ten decent souls
could save an entire city.
And Sodom was lacking even that.
A fact to remember
next time I question
if the compassion
of one person counts.
Jacqueline Jules is the author of three chapbooks, Field Trip to the Museum (Finishing Line Press, 2014), Stronger Than Cleopatra (ELJ Publications, 2014), and Itzhak Perlman’s Broken String (Evening Street Press, 2017), winner of the 2016 Helen Kay Chapbook Prize. Her poetry has appeared in The Broome Review, Sow’s Ear Poetry Review, Hospital Drive, and Imitation Fruit, among other periodicals. She is also the author of 40 books for young readers. Visit jacquelinejules.com.
SUBMIT to What Rough Beast via our SUBMITTABLE site.