Psalm 23 in the Letter S

I recently came upon a delightful challenge to biblical meditation specially tailored for us #wordnerds. The challenge is to rewrite Psalm 23 alliteratively, that is, using a single letter for as many words as possible. I’ve now alsocompleted (to the best of my ability) the letter Q, and you’ll find it at the bottom. But in the meantime, here’s my meditation using the letter S. I hope it blesses you. Find L and G at the link above.

The Sovereign is my shepherd,
I am sufficiently supplied.
He settles me in a supple country side,
He escorts me beside silent streams,
He strengthens my soul.
He steers me straight on suitable streets
For the sake of his historic significance.
Suppose I stumble through shadowed situations,
Still I am not scared of Satan,
For you surround me;
Your stick and your staff soothe me.
You set a sumptuous spread before me
In sight of my disparagers.
You smear my skull with slick oil;
My glass spills with surplus.
Surely your sanctification and security will support me
Through the sunset of my life span,
Thus I will stand in the shelter of the All-Sufficient One ceaselessly.

Psalm 23 in the Letter S: a biblical #meditation for #wordnerds via @Carole_Sparks. #NotAboutMe (click to tweet)

Want to try? You can add yours in the comments below or post it on your own blog. I’d love to read them!

 

Psalm 23 in the Letter ‘Q’ (with a bit of ‘K’)

(This is the best I can do with ‘Q.’ Let me know in the comments if you think of a better word at any point. I’d love to make it better, but I’ve searched the dictionary* and stretched my brain as far as it goes. There’s a short glossary at the bottom.)

The Quintessential One is my keeper; He quenches every quandary.
He quiets me in exquisite quadrants.
We quest beside quiescent waters.
He quickens my quiddity.
He quarterbacks me in qualities of His quintessence
for the sake of his kudos.
Even though I carry myself in the quarry of the quagmire of quietus,
I will not quake at knavery,
for you keep me company;
your quarterstaff and your quirt,
they quell my qualms.
You construct a banquet before me
with a quorum of my enemies;
you quench my head with oil;
I quaff what cannot be quantified.
Surely kindness and quittance shall never quit me
until I am quashed,
and I shall be qualified for the quarters of the Lord
for unquantifiable years to come.

Glossary

• Quintessence – for righteousness – the essence of something in its purest form
• Quietus – death
• Quirt – a type of riding whip
• Quiddity – for soul – (2^nd meaning) the essential nature or ultimate form of something

*With deep regard for Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, 2002, at my local library.