The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the way of darkness, but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.

Ecclesiastes 2:14

A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him who can eat or find enjoyment?

Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

The Eternal Brow

I.

In the dawn of every day we find that
we have more works of sweat to do.

As for the reeds who slap us remorselessly,
they throw themselves making our work more toilsome.

We are distracted, and also we are disturbed,
but freed from alien and loudly droning presences.

The treacherous reeds are so like ruinous life –
life that flaps, unsettling our treachery-slung traps.

God’s wisdom shows the resolution to this ignoble
thought; words of life flow from His book.

He has swiveled and called us to come
forth; He knows that we fear Earth’s tears.

In prayers some have told Him that while
in this world we dream and sweat blood.

They said that these dreams that we dream
are either horrific or desires that are unreachable.

This is what The Word implies: “Even when
only one loves His name, He empowers victory.”

We ask Him: “So must we sheath our
swords forever and idly wait for Your return?”

We suffer on earth, because we do not
understand Him; no, we cannot fathom His mystery.

The Creator’s Word continues speaking “He is making
a perfect place for you to live forever.

Until its lasting completion you must busy be,
and endure the musty mists that mask surfaces.”

We toil among the treacherous reeds, every now
and again deceived in their mud-steeped city.

When their rude whips lash our lips, we
taste ancient soil and the bitterness of vegetation.

Unfortunately, we are in urgent want of their
transparent shade; the comforts of their dying city.

As long as life lives in its sickening
midst, there will be similar sicknesses among mankind.

All other of God’s creatures inwardly smile at
our fretfulness; we have not kept their trust.

The Word speaks much more asking: “Why have
you prostituted yourselves by chasing after ruinous winds?

If it were not for God’s purposes, there
would be no wind, no eternally living brows.

This wind that He sends is good for
moistening and softening nimble hearts to serve Him.

Such nimble hearts are ordained by God and
produce the truest love of brothers and sisters.

His love for you is fast; His resolve
is true; He fully ferociously despises your suffering.

Nevertheless, your idolatry and your adultery provoke Him
to bursting fury – fury that consumes all things.

My children, keep in mind the perfect paradise
beyond this plane; paradise more magnificent than this.

In the meantime toil lovingly and in His
name; grow and flourish in this wild wilderness.”

For years we’ve basked in The Word’s strong
voice, blessed it, and prepared to ascend eternity.

II.

For a moment we must extinguish our impatient spirits
and chase our drinks of suffering with perseverance.

These are the oaths that we shall make Him:
“We will not worship the wind You send.

We will not worship it or turn to it;
as You groom it You honor its service.

We will labor not overlong for gold and trivialities;
every hour of day we will seek You.

We will not found our souls on dissipating worldly
forms, for gold is molding, earthen garments, passing.”

These oaths should have been made in time’s twilight
by those meaning it, but we’ve betrayed truth.

We live as though such important things were a
dream, for dreams are very unreal and surrealistic.

It seems the earth is tediously answering Heaven in
rebellion; the earth alienates itself, shuffling for glory.

The lust for fortune has turned us to insanity,
but God loves us despite our many deficiencies.

Some become dark with power-lust, seizing the hearts
of men with greedy hands; they overpower them.

Their movement is such that it’s impossible to withstand
them without higher help; we’re engaged in battle.

The purest of this world’s lords among men seem
altogether winsome to us; they mask their rapacity.

Without God we’re defenseless, vainly raging against the enemy’s
onslaught while human leaders cower, guarding their treasures.

We shall exist to prize molding gold, unless we
are changed into a similarity of His divinity.

We linger in a wasteful land of rebellion; we
live tarred and feathered; we wander on empty.

This is an earthen house beneath the somber clouds;
hope does not exist overly much in it.

The inhabitants of the world are garbed with feet
so that they waste their lives chasing wind.

Most of the time the wind is full of
rust, but they do not realize the danger.

In the end rebels realize that wind-chased kingdoms
are full of dead kings and spoiled princes.

God’s expectant children would love to turn back time
and replace them with ordained ministers, inspired inscribers.

On the soggy, reeking bog of the earth sits
the throne of true vanity’s wind-chased sovereign.

God transports faithful brows to Heaven’s timeless sea.

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Ben Plunkett

Greetings from the booming metropolis that is Pleasant View, Tennessee. I am a man of constant spiritual highs and spiritual lows. I pray that I serve God at my highest even when I am lowest.

Ben was a founding member of Rambling Ever On and a regular contributor and editor until his untimely death in April 2020.

We wrote a tribute to him, but the best tribute you can give him would be to read all the wonderful poems, short stories, book reviews, theological essays, and ridiculous satire pieces he wrote for us. Pass them on to others and maybe allow Ben to inspire you to write something yourself.

Latest posts by Ben Plunkett (see all)

• The Chorus (Considering Ecclesiastes) - November 20, 2024
• The Aftermath (Considering Ecclesiastes) - September 24, 2024
• A Lesson (Considering Ecclesiastes) - August 20, 2024