Thursday 10 February 2011

Lectionary poem

While struggling with the gospel reading for next Sunday I wrote the following poem...

Adultery (Matthew 5:27)

Jesus said,
It is not the sweaty consummation,
writhing: energy to ecstasy
that is most destructive.
Much worse are the mental
unconsummated fantasies
that override commitment
and undermine reality.
That give imagined passion
the motivation and power:
dreaming driving drawing draining
relationships in the real world.
What can compete with the unbridled unreality
of obsession that leads to a madness of dislocation?

“Blest are the pure in heart”

I wonder what they will make of it on Sunday?

1 comment:

  1. "dreaming driving drawing draining"

    That's a good line.

    I'm not sure if imagination in general undermines relationships, but I think there is a problem with some people starting to believe in their fantasies, to believe that there is a much more exciting relationship for them out there, which then makes them dissatisfied with the reality. Whereas I would claim that there's nothing wrong with having a little "thing" about an actor or fictional character (*cough, cough* Lord Vetinari *cough, cough*) - as long as one remains aware that this is, indeed, fictional. It's like reading romance novels, only more creative!

    ReplyDelete

chitika