(P)reaching

a self explanatory rant.

 (p)reaching, screeching, leaching

searching for effect, trying to reflect

what’s in the book, without a look

there’s no gray, too often all the same

I’m right you’re wrong, all along it’s lame

stomp, pomp, and circumstance

am I to blame if it’s on too long

sump pump muck stunk to the end

you lose my attention

while I’m in detention

my brain in suspension

words flip-flop, dip-drop, hip-hop

and lose their meaning

turn on... you’re on 

a physical, cyclical, 

sick-able testicle pedestal

still pouring, pondering, pounding

is there truth in this?

peace is the carrot, Hell is the stick

am I fooled, ruled, lulled?

I know the high road isn’t straight

isn’t always read, red, or righteous

it seems so simple

since my body is my temple

I don’t need to be here now

just to now be here

wherever

whatever

Reviews

[Rick Puetter]

Dear Papaed,

Interesting. It's been a while since I reviewed your writing. Glad I stopped by.

Now I feel a struggle here. For me, and I suspect for you, "simple belief" is not the "key that turns the lock". If it were, then I would buy anything the used car salesman offered me with a smile. Sorry, can't do that. I need to understand what's going on. If I can't (and i mostly don't), I just suspend judgement and say "I don't understand". But I won't accept some explanation that I also don't understand. There are too many of these "explanations" out there, and no way to decide which is right. (I also don't like Russian roulette and refuse to play that, too!)

So on to your piece. Yes, at times "it seems simple", but really it's not. "is there truth in this?", Ah, there's the rub, isn't it. We so long for the truth, but rarely are able to glimpse it. And I think that is what drives religion, i.e., a need and desperate desire to see the truth even when all hope of knowing the truth is denied us. We so long for the truth we close our eyes tight, we cry, we emplore, we're desperate to be saved from our unknowing. It's heart-wrenching. Still, as my dad preached to me so often, we shouldn't settle for the first thing offered to us, and that is what mom and dad taught us as we were growing up. It's the same everywhere. Whether Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, Taoist, atheist, whatever we're first taught sticks with us 99% of the time. That becomes what defines us and we can't escape. What is this about people? Are we such creatures of habit and circumstance? We believe with such surety and passion, and we'll fight wars and kill people over this, even though it's against the very teachings that we believe. We're still monkeys, I guess. Only 6 million years past a common ancestor with the chimpanzee. I guess it's going to take a bit more time.

I always enjoy your work, papaed. That's because you're always raising questions and thinking about basic, important stuff. And I'm now done with my preaching. It's only my point of view, and I don't claim to have any real answers. I just have more questions.

Wonderful job. Great work. High marks.

All my best,

Rick

[Beccy]

For me, simple belief is the key that turns the lock. The rest of pomp and circumstance is just add-on engineering; though of course many an ardent believer would argue differently.

[R J Askew]

It's interesting to see you wielding words like a 20-year old here. it's got vigour and it stirred up my feelings about being preached at, right and wrong, the grey. I instinctively like clarity, but equally recongise the brilliance of grey. I have also recently read The Crucible and have been thinking about what an absolutely terrible idea hell is. I have never believed in it or heaven for one second. But seeing how it twists our behaviour is tragic. The notion of unity seems far saner...but I'm preaching. O for someone to write a story in which the devil and god hang out and sort their differences. Now what a wonderful service to mankind that wld be.

[James Paulin]

If Thomas Aquanias had written a rap song...you go papaed!

[TL Boehm]

peace the carrot...hell the stick. WOW. I love the wordplay in this - it is ferocious.

[No Longer Writing Here]

Awesome. I love the word play throughout the poem and you did a great job with the rhyme scheme.

[Christian Tirol Dacula]

PRAY