Saturday, January 26, 2008
Apostrophe: A Saturday Poem
Apostrophe
Life’s one.
Remember how long we were confused about it?
Do you? I recall asking
Your opinion of the Fall.
You argued for myth, and I stuck to
Fact. So much, I damn near convinced myself.
The serpent was not even a snake, you said.
And I asked how you knew this.
I was there, you said.
You bit the fruit?
It was not a fruit.
And what’s so wrong with wanting to know?
This was you, and I, donkey-like, replied
Some things are a violation of the --
You lovingly stopped me, with a finger on
My stupid lips, and you whispered,
A violation of what?
Knowledge we were denied access to, I breathed,
And knew I was wrong.
Always, had been
Wrong.
Listen, dear -- you began. But I stopped you
A finger to your lips.
And just as I said We are God’s,
You proved to me that we are gods.
© Ciprianowords Inc. 2008
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9 comments:
Holy *&#@! That was quite a poem...amongst the best you've written Cip! I quite enjoyed it.
I think I'll reference it on my own god blog - www.prospectinggod.blogspot.com (and yes, that was a shameless plug!).
Cold Molasses, I quite agree.
Cipriano, you use dialogue here (and in other poems) so effectively - such economy of language. A very "less is more" style.
I love how the "ways of knowing things" theme runs sort of sneakily through this poem. It's subtle, multilayered, and deserving of a second, third look.
Enjoyed it, Bookpuddle Bard.
More.
Thank you Emma, and Cold Molasses. I really enjoyed writing that poem.
It is as fictional [of course] as the symbolic, non-literal and non-historic subject matter it borrows to make its point.
And yet, for me, it represents or maybe even capsulizes my own inaugural venture into the wonderfully liberating and freeing world of theological heresy. Or what I prefer to now call "Renaissance Theology."
I must also credit Philip Pullman, for it was in a recent reading of his book The Amber Spyglass that I was repeatedly met with the question, in one way or another, through his characters:
"What is so wrong with knowing?"
Biblically, we are told that THIS was the sin.
The original sin. The Fall, if you will.
The question has haunted me for weeks now. To answer it with "Because God said it was wrong," well... that does not slice my sandwich anymore!
Thank you for reading!
This is a wonderful poem. The use of language, the resonances... well, I am very impressed.
Bravo Cip! I vote this as one of your best :)
Thank you, Melanie and Stefanie.
It's a neat feeling to hear that thoughtful readers like you are seeing my poetry, and even.... liking it!
Wishing you a great upcoming week!
-- Cip
That is an amazing poem. I had to read it three times.
Cipriano,
The sin wasn't "knowing". The sin was disobedience to God, who told Adam and Eve not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Knowing was the consequence. Knowledge isn't always good.
Sometimes knowing destroys our ability to enjoy parts of life. One aspect of God's reason for forbidding the specific knowledge of Good and Evil, was that ignorance gave man freedom. Knowing put the burden of conforming on man. Knowing destroyed man's innocence.
Thank you all for your nice comments, even the comments from the confused Christian guy.
-- Cheers.
-- Cippy.
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