Double Nines (Considering Ecclesiastes)

I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 

Ecclesiastes 3:10,11

Double Nines

So distinguished sit the gentlefolk; they  
rest like royalty upon cherry-toned chairs. 

Bones skimpy, they place copper coins;        
the penny-plea metaphorical of empty lives.  

Are they God that they can 
discover His mysteries alone and without succor?  

All they do is idly yak:  
“And what of Agamemnon’s suffering kinswoman killer?” 

“Speaking of Clytemnestra so gore-steeped? 
What of the misty marshes of Pal-ul-don?” 

Despite their earnest games they come 
to no conclusions but the double twos. 

The doubles and everything: Heaven and   
Hell, life and death – theology is thrilling. 

Cold domino dots come by chance, 
not so this Truth, this worthy end. 

These tiles are symbolic of a 
true trail paved by the Lord – proceed. 

Minions, meanwhile, roll the bones, slipping 
them monotonously through their ten fallen fingers.  

They’ll not find Truth in chance; 
they pack coins, stack tiles in compartments. 

Someday soon we’ll find the matching nines. 

Editor’s Notes:

The extended metaphor Ben uses here is from a version of dominoes called Mexican Train dominoes our family played a lot. We played a version that used dominoes up to double nines. If you can’t play a domino you have to draw a “bone” (extra domino) and put a penny on your train at which point anyone can play on it. The round starting with the double nine would be the last round played.

“Pal-ul-don” is a lost world type place in some of the Tarzan books.

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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.

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