A poem about an altar ego

I feel that one aspect of the sacrifice of Isaac has received insufficient attention…  

The Sacrifice of Isaac

god’s command

a tortured father
an eternal journey
a loyal son

an expectant altar
a readied pyre
a flashing knife

a sudden angel
a last minute reprieve
a father’s relief

an unlucky sheep


  • Sacrifice of Isaac by Caravaggio. Note the unlucky sheep: