This, Stephen Schecter’s fourth book, and his first book of poetry, is daunting indeed. At 188 pages, this long poem was a labour of love for the author, and is a challenge for the reader.

David and Jonathan draws heavily on the Bible’s telling of David’s ascent to the throne of Israel with one key difference: Jonathan, the son of the present king has taken the young man from Bethlehem, acclaimed for his bravery, as his lover.

The poem suffers from a lack of heightened language and striking metaphors to give their characters and their actions resonance. Schecter does manage some resonance in scenes between David and Jonathan, in their lovemaking, their affection toward and longing for one another. But there is more to the tale that must be told (the battles, the marriages, Samuel’s pronouncements, the father’s rage), and this is what gets in the way. The telling, which must follow the storyline, bogs the poem down.

David and Jonathan is to be admired for its reach, if not its grasp.