Peniel: A Place of Broken Hip & Changed Destiny

He has journeyed for
Many days;
The pebbly road that led to
Izba has changed so much.
Years have passed since the last time
He strode past this
Desert.
He paused, then
Wondered how he had wandered this
Far;
Running away from home is no
Easy pilgrimage,
Thieves on the road, bandits
Chasing gold
Danger looms on every
Corner,
No manger for this
Stranger to lay his
Fatigued legs, for he was a
Lone ranger.
That was the life Tora
Lived;
For decades, Tora had sojourned
In a faraway country;
A land so far-flung with no family, no
Next-of-kin, for he had deceived
His only kin.
Home is no place for a
Con, and that
Had marked Tora’s years;
He left home with a rucksack,
A donkey, wheezy heart and
A stolen prayer, for his brother
Had gone for a prey and
Tora was quick to pinch his
Right – his birthright.
And now after many years of
Hard life, two wives, and eleven sons
He’s ready to face
The fight.
He’s timid to meet his
Angry kin
But there’s a problem, for
Tora hasn’t seen Kita for many
Years,
And his heart fail him to think of the
Sight.
He paused again, thought awhile and stared at
The grimy soil beneath his
Feet,
“What do I say to him?”
“What would he care of my
Struggles?”
Kita was a warrior, a hunter of the
Fields, and
Tora knew con was no match for
Might, so he
Made his wives and sons pass the
Brook and was left
Alone;
Alone to think, alone to
Cry, alone to fight and
Wrestle;
He did wrestle… the once timid
Tora tussled and prevailed like a
Prince,
His arms held tight the man’s
Waist with his feet glued to the
Murky, soggy ground.
His eyes gazed firm on his
Opponent, for the man he fought was a
Seraph
“What is your name?” the angel asked, touching
The hollow of his hip.
“My name? You ask for my name? Tora!
For this long I have
Journeyed away from home,
Bearing my guilt and
Shame with no
Gain
But now I seek a change, for I fear my
Days have been a waste.
Behold Kita is on his way and
What shall I say when I gaze on his
Face.”
Thus did Tora pray and plead, but the angel
Could not wait, for
Dawn was about to break.
So he blessed him there, changed
His name and went away.
As the morn rose, he inched toward
Izba to meet Kita with a
Broken thigh, but this time with no
Fears and no shame,
For he said
“I have been to Peniel,
A place of broken hip and
Changed destiny and my life has been
Spared.”

Peniel is a excerpt from my book “Even in the Well…”

For more inspiring words, visit my website @ http://www.josephiregbu.com to buy your copy of my book.