Little Fields

Little Fields

Brad Davis

Acts 4:13

Where most translators prefer
unschooled and ordinary, the Greek

supports illiterate and homely, the latter
even idiotic, which feels a tad much

given the context—how the rulers
were impressed by their manner.

Flabbergasted, more like it.
Slack-jawed, as lacking facial control.

Yet here most translators prefer
astounded or astonished

or simply amazed—or that
the wondering rulers marveled.

Worlds are revealed in translation.
I, slack-jawed, prefer illiterate and homely

as best descriptive of the little field
where the seed first took root

and grew, yielding impressive harvests
some of which went for bread,

the rest for sowing in other such
little fields, to the ends of the earth.

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Brad Davis
Poet & Author

Brad Davis is the author of three poetry collections, most-recently of Trespassing On the Mount of Olives (Poiema/Cascade, 2021). He and his wife live in Connecticut.

Photography by Alessandro Erbetta