Sheba knew that King Solomon was
Fated for her virgin bed because
The marriage between wealth and wisdom would
Conspire to bequeath the world the good
Which both their realms in troubled times desired.
Besides which she was awesomely inspired
By what she heard of his inventive wit
And charm and strength. She knew she wanted it.
She sent him forty mules loaded with bricks
Of gold and a ring wound in a helix
But when this mule train reached Solomon’s realm
They saw a plain of gold spread before them.
So on and on they walked for forty days
Shielding their eyes from its reflected rays
And thinking “Where the hell have we been sent?
This gold is but this kingdom’s fundament!
We may as well have brought a pile of dust
To Solomon.” The intelligent must
Reconsider their intelligence
Which may be commoner than common sense.
But Solomon was mildly amused
His wise reply was subtly interfused
With sarcasm. “Why do you bring me gifts?
Observe instead the loving hand that shifts
The planets and the stars and moves the sun
O leave your gold, unite me with the One
Who created every moving galaxy
And gave us light so that our eyes might see.”
Then Solomon sent Sheba’s servants back
To tell their queen of gold he had no lack
In a land which was constructed of the stuff
And though rejection may seem a bit rough
A little thought would help her understand
That he was merely trying to lend a hand
To lead her from the vanity of thrones
Out of this vale of tears and sighs and groans
To where the wandering Ibrahim did find
The peace of that which resides in the mind
The light that Yusuf found when he emerged
And found the darkness of his hell was purged
By revelation. Though it may sound strange
O Queen, embrace the alchemy of change!