Want Is My Shepherd
by Dominic Palmer
Adapted from Psalm 23
Want is my shepherd. I shall not
lie down in green pastures
or beside quiet waters:
I will store. My sole
guide along the right paths
is my name’s sake. So I walk.
The valley of the shadow of death
I will fear. No evil for you, says Want, are you with me?
Talk about a carrot and a stick.
So where is my comfort?
Where is my table prepared?
Before me, always before me, never
present. I’ve made enemies,
but I’ll keep my head:
I’m a cup-half-full kind of person.
Are you following me?
All the days of my life follow me.
But I will live forever.
Goodness, I want to live
forever
Dominic Palmer is a teacher, writer, and church musician living in Manchester. His poetry has been published or is forthcoming in journals including Blue Unicorn, Ekstasis, and EGG+FROG. Dominic and his wife have recently become parents for the first time, so he is quite sleep deprived but full of wonder.
