When in doubt, let the animal speak
Welcome back to 'The Life of H: Sarah, Reimagined,' where I share poetry about the biblical matriarch, Sarah. Today's poem considers various interpretations before letting the story speak for itself.
Today’s poem, “Says the Ram,” is written from the voice of, well, a male sheep.
In the story of the Binding of Isaac, Abraham notices a ram that is caught in a thicket just in time to be sacrificed on the altar instead of his child.
There are various interpretations to explain the sudden appearance of this ram, including these:
1. The miracle that’s been hiding in plain sight
As the concluding passage in a deeply disturbing story, the ram has been elevated as a symbol of hope by some. After all, he was there all along, and Abraham only had to lift his eyes to find the solution to his awful situation.
According to this interpretation, the ram reminds us to take a higher view when we find ourselves in the thorn-tangled dilemmas of our own lives.
Which is a nice thought. Unless, of course, you’re the ram.
2. The sound of Sarah’s grief
Although she doesn’t appear in this story, at least two rabbinic interpretations posit that Sarah cried out on hearing the news of her son’s near-sacrifice. Her howls of grief are said to correspond with the blasts of the shofar (ram’s horn) at Yom Kippur.
More plausible to me, anyway, is the next part of those interpretations: that Sarah’s acute grief caused her death, which occurs directly after The Binding of Isaac.
3. Sarah as savior
In yet another variation, Sarah magically appears on the scene of the sacrifice in the form of a ram, just in time to save her son.
Sarah-as-superhero has its appeal. But this interpretation is wholly inconsistent with anything else we know about Sarah—or the rest of the story.
Speaking of shape-shifting
In the end, none of these interpretations satisfied me. So, I did what any poet and dreamworker would do:
I dreamed my way into the story … as the ram.
The resulting poem doesn’t provide a new interpretation, but it does introduce a new perspective, and another dimension, to the story.
4. Ask the ram
In today’s poem, “Says the Ram”, I let the animal speak for himself. Listen here ⤵
“Says the Ram,” ©️ Copyright Tzivia Gover, Third House Moon, LLC, all rights reserved.
More Ram-Speak
According to Animal Speak by Ted Andrews (one of my go-to reference books when an animal shows up in a dream or in a surprising context in waking life) the Ram carries this message:
"When the ram shows up, it will teach you to bring forth the powers of the mind and imagination and use them to seek out new heights and adventures.” —Ted Andrews, Animal Speak
Longing for a literary adventure this summer?
Here’s a writing retreat you don’t need to pack for — or break the bank to attend
Register now for the summer Stay Home and Write online retreat.
In this low-cost Write-at-Home retreat, you’ll work on a big project or just get in the flow with daily writing prompts and virtual check-ins with a community of other writers.
A weekend retreat, Aug. 16-18, from 4 p.m. Friday through 4:30 p.m. Sunday. $75 regular price with generous sliding scale price options.
Learn more here.
Summer schedule:
This summer I’ll be traveling, teaching, and working on a deadline for my next project—so I’ll be publishing on a bi-weekly, rather than a weekly schedule.
I’m dreaming with you,
