THE KING BATTLES INSANITY

                          Daniel 4

SOME THIRTY YEARS HAD NOW GONE BY
EACH CONQUERED LAND WAS HIS TO RULE
THE ROYAL PALACE OF THE KING
WITH HANGING GARDENS BLOOMED ALL SPRING.

THERE WAS NO KINGDOM TO COMPARE
AS ONE WALKED THROUGH THE ISHTAR GATE
ALONG WIDE STREETS WITH BUILDINGS RARE
AND SCORES OF TEMPLE-GODS TO SHARE.

BUT BABYLON'S KING WITH HEAD OF GOLD
BEGAN TO BOAST OF ALL HE HAD
SO AS HIS HEART FILLED UP WITH PRIDE
NARCISSISTIC THOUGHTS BUILT UP INSIDE.

ONE EARLY MORN AS HE AWOKE
NEBUCHADNEZZAR HAD A DREAM
IN WHICH A TREE WITH BRANCHES WIDE
PROVIDED SHADE FOR ALL TO HIDE.

BUT WHEN THE ANGEL OF THE LORD
ANNOUNCED THE FELLING OF THE TREE
AND LEAVE THE STUMP TO FILL ITS PLACE
A SENSE OF FEAR CAME TO HIS FACE.

THE WISE MEN SOON WERE CALLED TO GIVE
A REASON FOR THIS MYSTERY DREAM
BUT ONLY DANIEL COULD REVEAL
WHAT GOD WAS READY TO UNSEAL.

THE KING WAS TOLD HE WAS THE TREE
PROVIDING FRUIT FOR ALL TO EAT
BUT ONE DAY HE WOULD BE CUT DOWN
AND LIVE LIKE BEASTS THAT PROWL AROUND.

WITHIN A YEAR HIS BOASTING HEART
FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE YAHWEH'S PART
SO LIKE A WILD BEAST OF PREY
HIS KINGDOM WAS CUT SHORT THAT DAY.

FOR SEVEN YEARS HE LIVED APART
UNTIL ONE DAY HIS SENSE RETURNED
AS HE CONFESSED THAT GOD WAS KING
HIS THRONE WAS THEN RESTORED TO HIM.

A FEW MORE YEARS WERE GIVEN BACK
BECAUSE HIS LIFE HAD CHANGED WITHIN
HE OFFERED PRAISE TO GOD ALONE
WHO RULES AND REIGNS FROM HEAVEN'S THRONE.
--B. Pent