Saturday, August 05, 2006

Soliloquy in a Darkened Bedroom


SOLILOQUY
IN A DARKENED BEDROOM



WHEN I WAS YOUNG LAD
AND ON MY COT
THE CARS GOING BY
MADE MONSTERS
RUN ACROSS THE WALLS
TO HIDE IN CLOSETS
AND BENEATH MY BED
AND DARE ME TO MAKE A BATHROOM CALL
I HAVE NEW MONSTERS NOW
OF WHOM I’M NOT AFRAID
I DON’T MEAN TO SOUND SO BRAVE
BUT I’VE LIVED WITH THEM AWHILE
THEY ARE COMPANIONS OF MY OLD AGE

A READING FROM 4 ESDRAS

ETERNAL REST GRANT TO THEM OH LORD
AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.
MAY THEY REST IN PEACE. AMEN.

A COMMON QUOTE IN EARLY CHRISTIAN TIMES
A BEAUTIFUL QUOTE
BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN

IS IT THAT GOD WILL LEAVE THE LIGHT ON
SO THAT THE MONSTERS WILL BE KEPT AT BAY

IT NEVER MADE THE BIBLE
BUT WAS WIDELY CITED
AMONG THE EARLY DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH
WAS MADE PART OF THE SERVICE FOR THE DEAD

ETERNAL REST
A THING TO BE CRAVED
PERPETUAL LIGHT
NO DEMONS WILL COME NEAR

ODD THOUGHTS
BROUGHT ON BY PROLONGED BED REST
AND THE MEDICINE
THAT KEEPS ME IN A CONTINUAL STATE OF OVERDRIVE
AND LET’S MY IMAGINATION SOAR
AS SHADOWS FLY ACROSS MY ROOM
WHISPERING

WHY DO GOOD PEOPLE GIVES CHURCH’S A BAD NAME

WHY
TO QUOTE JONATHAN SWIFT
DO WE HAVE ENOUGH RELIGION TO HATE
AND NOT ENOUGH TO LOVE

WHY SHOULD THERE BE A DRESS CODE AT CHURCH
SO HIGH
THAT A POOR MAN
WOULD NOT FEEL WELCOME

WHY SHOULD A CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY
CARRY WITH IT AN APPRECIATION
OF EUROPEAN CULTURE
OR HYMNODY


WHY DO MEN SUFFER

KIND OF LATE AT NIGHT FOR THAT

NOT MUCH ELSE HAPPENING


I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT GOD GAVE JOB
A SUITABLE ANSWER


OH I WAS PROPERLY IMPRESSED
AWED
SCARED EVEN
BUT NOT IMPRESSED

WE MUST BE QUIET
SHE
WHO WATCHES OVER ME IN THE NIGHT
WILL CHECK ON ME
IF SHE HEARS A NOISE

GOD IS REALLY HER ASSISTANT
BUT HE DOESN’T KNOW IT

WE ARE MINDED THAT THE POPE
WAS COMMENDED
FOR HOW GRACEFULLY HE SUFFERED
AND HE DID

BUT IN THAT BELIEF SYSTEM
SUFFERING
CAN BE USED TO MERIT
TO ALLEVIATE
THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION
OF A SOUL IN PURGATORY
ONE CAN SUFFER THEIR MOTHER
INTO HEAVEN

OH STOP FLYING AROUND THE ROOM MARTIN
THIS IS MY ARGUMENT WITH MY SELF
NOT YOURS

I WAS ASKED ONCE WHEN I SAID THESE THINGS
HAD I FOUND GOD
I TOLD THEM I DIDN’T THINK HE WAS LOST


WHY DOES GOD ADVOCATE GENOCIDE IN THE BIBLE
IS THIS GOD’S VOICE
OR THAT OF THE AUTHOR

I WANT A GOD WHO HOLDS ME IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND
A PALM INSCRIBED WITH MY NAME
A GOD WHO LOVES ME PERSONALLY

I DO NOT THINK THAT A GOD WHO LOVES US
WOULD SPEAK TO US IN RIDDLES OR CODE


HOW MANY PARENTS
HAVE WE TORTURED AS IN HELL
BECAUSE THEIR BABIES WERE NOT BAPTIZED

IF GOD SAYS LOVE
CAN WE EXPECT HIM TO DO OTHERWISE
CAN WE DEMAND OF HIM
THE SAME HE DEMANDS OF US


THE SHADOWS FLY ACROSS THE ROOM
LESS NOW THAT DAY COMES
LIKE A WATCHMAN I WAIT FOR DAWN
MY EYES ARE GROWING WEARY
THE LIGHT COMES ON
THE MONSTERS GO TO SLEEP
AND I AM SHELTERED IN GOD’S HAND


FRANK A VOLLMER

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