Hosea's Family of Four

Author's Note: This poem was written while I was a sophmore in highschool.

We are the members of Hosea’s family, just us four,

The ones whom others wanted to see no more.

Of a certain reputation and ill-gotten names,

With Israel, our fate was the same.

I am a woman,

Gomer, the lover of men,

The woman Hosea chose to wed,

The one who traded him for thread.

I am Jezreel, the first-born son,

My name carrying fate of one,

Israel, my homeland,

Foretold to be broken by God’s hand.

I am Lo-Rummah, the only girl,

My name means love I shall hurl.

Hurl away the love from Israel,

And only of love can Judah tell.

I am Lo- Ammi, not Hosea’s, I won’t be coy.

Lo-Ammi, “Not Papa’s boy.”

Neither does Israel belong,

Nor God in Israel, for we’ve done wrong.

Yet our father head, Hosea, choose us.

His name means “salvation,”

And truly did he save us,

From our deeds, from starvation, from desperation.

I, Gomer, the unfaithful wife,

He took proudly twice, giving his all for his bride of strife.

I, Jezreel, for me, Papa’s mended my bruises of heart and mind,

And with mercy and grace, my wounds he’ll bind.

I, Lo-Rummah, in me Hosea prides.

For me his love shines in a smile, wide.

I, Lo-Ammi, in my birth I do not moan,

For Hosea claimed me as his own.

We are Hosea’s family of four,

And as he taught to us, of us there is more.

For like Hosea did for us, God did for Israel his daughter,

And we are all His, part of His family no more bound for slaughter.

Yes, we’re Hosea’s family of four,

The one that Hosea loves, the one that God could restore.