Mrs Job
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job;And he was essentially a blameless dude, and unarrogant,And he was blessed with seven sons, and three daughters,Which is a startling number of children, and where is thePart of the Book of Job where we talk about Job's spouse,Who is conspicuously not discussed in the back and forthWith his buddies and then suddenly the Big Guy Himself,Answering out of the whirlwind and commanding old JobTo gird up his loins, which his loins were almighty activePrevious to the Lord interrupting Job, and after the MakerFinishes one of the greatest eloquent scoldings of all time,He grants old Job another seven sons and three daughters,Again without the slightest thanks for the astounding MrsJob who suddenly has twenty count them twenty childrenWith no mention of her humor, or the vast hills of diapers,Or her wit which survived kids throwing up and the sheepWandering off, and plagues of locusts and things like that.A good editor, I feel, would have asked for just a glancingNod to the wry hero of the tale, at least acknowledgement;Something like a new last line after So Job died, being oldand full of days, which might read And also passed a mostAmazing woman, of whom nothing other than the blessingWas ever said, her heart being a gift beyond calculation byMan, her mind sharp, her tongue gentle, her hands a mercy,And her very presence full reason to kneel in prayer at thatWhich the Lord in His mercy has made and granted briefly.A line like that would only hint at her, but it's a start, right?
The cross
Probably an olive or acacia, as far as scholars can determine.Of course there are scholars who have poked into the matter.The Roman Empire sensibly used the most accessible wood.Me personally I would bet on the acacia which grows biggerAnd broader and quicker than olive. You wonder if someoneGrew them for just this use. A market niche with an imperialBudget, who could argue with that as a business model? NotTo mention the excellent public relations aspects of assistingThe mills of justice, the civic equilibrium, the battles againstCriminals and radicals. Imagine it: an acacia grows in Judea,Let's say