A Mile in Hagars Shoes

By Patricia Backora

My birth I didnt choose

Assigned a lowly place
Walk a mile in my shoes
Before my name you hate.

Preachers claim I had no faith

God had no need of me
My faith gave God a holy name
The God Who seeth me.

Slaves must stay in their place

Because theyve got no rights
But would YOU have had sufficient grace
To live my kind of life?

How easily you judge me

From your cushioned velvet pew
Youve never felt the desert heat
In your church serene and cool.

You preach on family life

I lost MY family
I wasnt a full-fledged wife
They made me a machine.

Torn from my native land

Far away from mothers embrace
A chattel of a mighty man
Reduced to being a slave.

Trapped in circumstances
Others chose for me
My bright mind had no chances
To learn or even read.

Grinding grain by day

Cooking meals by night
No one could feel my pain
At the dying of my light.

Eagles soaring in the sky

Had a better life than I
How I longed to take my flight
To the sky so free and bright.

I longed for my own love

Whod cherish me for me
A princess born in freedom
Thats what I yearned to be.

Just to be someones sweetheart

Precious and protected
Securely loved and kept from harm
 Instead Id be rejected.
My mistress wanted babies
There seemed no other way
Like a brood mare Sarai gave me
To breed with her soulmate.

No kindred soul to cherish me

No one called me beloved
Id treasured my virginity
To give the one Id wed.

I cried inside that fateful night

A rich man took my sole treasure
No dignity was left in life
As my master took his pleasure.

The child inside, it wasnt mine

It grew there for another
When it emerged to see the light
Id never be its mother.

I longed to reawaken me
I wasnt a machine
The words I said, they sounded mean
As I fought hard to break free.

Sarai was a lioness

A firestorm of rage
Terrified I fled the tent
And broke free of my cage.

Burning sand, hostile land

No haven of rest for me
No shield I found in Abraham
From Sarais cruelty.

The rocky hills, the evenings chill

My blistered weary feet
The hungry howls of jackals filled
Me with anxiety.

If I should die then its my right

At least I would die free
No more to be a toiling beast
Robbed of my liberty.

Sarais NEVER lived like this

Despised, alone and crushed
A meat machine dispensing kids
Shes not allowed to love.

Refreshed beside a water spring

The angel cheered my heart
God would at last His blessing bring
My son would play his part.
God sent me back, the years flew by
I watched my Ishmael grow
No longer used as Abrams wife
I felt so all alone.

Sarah bore the Promised Son

My son lived in his shadow
Naughty Ishmael making fun
Tried to steal the show.

Sarahs rage again uncaged

Was fearful to behold
Her henpecked husband must obey
And do what he was told.

Throw out this worthless woman

Get rid of HER slave son
As if we two werent human
Or worthy to be loved.

That slave boy shall get nothing

MY Isaac shall get all
My rivals must be punished
Its all my HUSBANDS fault!

Sarah planted her own plan

But couldnt choose its fruits
Greatly blessed, she still got mad
She gave us both the boot.

Discarded like old garbage

The desert might bring death
Shed banished extra baggage
We wandered while she slept.

Blissfully spared the pain we knew

Sarah saw not the fruits
Of that one day so very cruel
Future feuds of Arab and Jew.

Abraham lost a son he loved

Ishmael lost his father
The desert road was long and rough
Soon we were out of water.

Protector of ditched women

Father of the fatherless
Is our most gracious God in heaven
But we were in a big mess.

Burning sand, hostile land

No haven of rest for me
No shield I found in Abraham
From Sarahs cruelty.
 Ishmael cried and so did I
I turned my back on him
I couldnt bear to watch him die
I heard God speak again.

Lift up thy child and give him drink

And do not be discouraged
My love has opened up a spring
To renew your life and courage.

A mighty nation will come of him

Twelve princes hell beget
Your lives and welfare Ill defend
Abrahams OTHER son is blessed.

*****
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