Forgive us our sins

"No temptation has taken you except which is common to man" (1 Cor 10:13a)

we are all sinners

idolaters, adulterers, fornicators

if not by practice, then by spirit

our hearts entice us

a thought when fertile

gives birth to unforgivable sins 

you howl at night to make it right

but these secret sins are

encompassing more than just you

we have a mercy given to us

prayers for the undeserving

that we may do unto others

as ourselves

but it's all been done before

there is no original sin

Author's Note

ha cha cha. I think I finally like it.

Reviews

[Steffi]

Harsh truths. I love that about this poem. When a writer makes the point so direct and doesnt hide it behind intricately planned out words

[deathcabxcutiex]

I always appreciate your honest and much deliberated reviews, AMN.
Truth be told, this poem isn't actually about what you think. Well, a fraction is, but not the whole thing. It's about how we're all being drawn out, enticed and tried by our own selfish desires-- whatever they may be. And despite what we think is completely foreign territory, it has all been done before ("there is no original sin")...
The line "you howl at night to make it right" is kind of my way of summing up how some people can live double lives: one public for all to see, and one private, and yet they somehow manage to justify it to themselves.
Also, a big THANKS to everyone for reviewing this (and other works) and helping me with my various technical difficulties. It's always appreciated!

[A.M. Nelson]

I like the way this looks now, it looked bland and normal before...but now its tight.

I am concerned about "our hearts entice us" because that is kind of bland, isn't this about straight out and out f*****g? Why not just go for it and leave the nice fluffy words in the corner?

Ummm, and the bold text...I'd put a full-stop on the line before it and just let it sit there and breathe, at its natural level. maybe.

oh and that night/right thing annoys me a bit, plus that line doesn't really make a whole lot of sense.

[Girl, Interrupted]

you should put the last line in bold

[Este]

i definitely like this way better.

"you howl at night to make it right
but these secret sins are
encompassing more than just you"

...POW-ER-FUL!

[Gastroc.]

amen

[deathcabxcutiex]

hmmm lemme see what that looks like... not sure which I like better. it looks alright centered, yeah? what about bolding?

[Girl, Interrupted]

when i first read this poem, it all ran together and i liked that better than these separated stanzas. it kind of lost some of its punch, i think, with the spaces.
also you gotta change "than" to "then"