Rebuttal to Abou Ben Adhem

Blooming Lily
By Laura Debenham

Lily Ben Adhem, wife to Abou
Awoke in the night by Abou’s vision too
And noticed her sweetheart sitting up tall
And chatting away to a spot on the wall

She sighed and rolled over and went back to sleep
Tomorrow was earmarked for shearing the sheep
Lily got up hours before Abou
To cook a big breakfast for hubby and crew

She did all the dishes while he read his book
She quieted children with merely a look
She taught them a lesson while folding the wash
And settled a quarrel and harvested squash

The children all followed her out to the fields
She sheared 50 sheep and she cooked two more meals
She herded the sheep along with the kids
While Ben Adhem supervised all that they did

She brought lemonade as he supervised labor
And baked sugar cookies he took to the neighbor
Her stomach felt queezy but she did not shirk
Determined she struggled along in her work

That night by the fire while combing out fleece
Said Lily, “In six months your tribe will increase!”
She smiled at Ben Adhem and patted her womb
“Congratulations Abuo, your Lily’s in bloom!”

She kissed the shocked man and collapsed into bed
Soon visions of bassinettes danced through her head
She woke hours later because she was kissed
Abou said, “My name’s at the top of the list!”

He told her his story, she smiled and said,
“That’s wonderful honey, now go back to bed.
We both have a full day of serving to do
You serve the Lord, and I will serve you.

But just one more thing, dear, I have a strong feeling
There’s another lesson your vision’s revealing
I wonder, my darling, do you think that maybe
The angel you spoke to was our future baby?”

Abou lay awake thinking thoughts of his wife
And marveled at angels so present in life
Sometimes the veil seemed to be oh so thin
What was the real lesson he should learn there-in?

Could it be that of all the folks he was serving
Those beneath his roof were the folk most deserving
Of his time and energy, oh could it be?
Abou’s “fellow men” was his own family!