Psalm 28—You are there when the grace gathers around the table at dinner, in the hallowed halls of the real world.

The Darkling Psalter is a project to create renditions of the Psalms. Psalms complete: 82/150.

Rendition of Psalm 28

I forgot how to begin, Lord.
Wait for me. It’ll take a minute
To find my way from here
To somewhere else.

I’ve been digging ditches all summer, 
Sweating through my graveclothes.
I can feel the beat, beat,
Beat of things going faster—my pulse, 
My pitted prayers, the waltzing clock.
I’ve been patting my pockets since June
And I keep coming up short.
I thought I was only busy,
But I watched these holes getting deeper, 
And realized: one is as good as another.

All day a question runs in my head:
Will you meet me more than halfway,
Or will you drag me off with the wicked? 
I can find their every shortfall in myself. 
I have taken my sin in sips,
While I waited for time to eat away at my resolve.
I have settled for less
And insisted it was worth it.
I have pressed my hands to the wall
In the space between two trains
And hoped my fleeting pleas would pass for prayer.

You hold yourself silent,
But I know you are there.
You show yourself and dance away,
You made your rumor run 
Under the wind, wild as wolves, 
Catching, coy, quicksilver—
Purple in fingers picking blackberries,
Gasping in the azaleas,
Cascading in summer hollyhocks 
Grown head high and higher. You are there 
In the throaty chuckle of ravens brooding 
Like a gang of black toads in the oak trees.
You are there when the grace gathers
Around the table at dinner,
In the hallowed halls of the real world 
Ready to be passed again from hand to hand
In bits of bread and cups of wine.

Lord, help me. Hear me.
Gird yourself and guard me.
Show up, my God, you plodder! 
I cannot give much more than this.
If you are not my help,
I have none. Shepherd, 
Carry me. 

Catch up With the Darkling Psalter

Psalms: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 31, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 46, 50, 51, 53, 54, 62, 63, 65, 66, 73, 74, 75, 84, 86, 88, 90, 91, 100, 107, 110, 114, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 137, 139, 140, 142, 147, 148.

Request the Darkling Psalter in Print

If you would like to move this project one step closer to publication, sign up on this form to request the Darkling Psalter in print.