Carcer

THE WORD CARCER IN LATIN

MEANS PRISON

TO INCARCERATE

MEANS

TO SEND TO PRISON

THE EARLY CHURCH

KNEW WELL

WHAT CARCER MEANT

EARLY ON THE PRISONS

COULD NOT KEEP THEM

CHAINS FELL OFF

DOORS WERE OPENED

THEY WALKED FREE

BUT LATER

CARCER MEANT

A DOORWAY

TO HEAVEN

IN FACT IT WAS A FATE

THAT MANY SOUGHT

TODAY

WE HAVE MANY

WHO WILL DIE FOR A CAUSE

WE SCOFF

FORGETTING

THAT THE CHURCH

IN ALL ITS FORMS

HAS MANY MARTYRS

SO WHERE

DOES IT END

HOW DO WE JUDGE

WHEN IT’S RIGHT

WHEN IT’S WRONG

TO PARAPHRASE PAUL

IF WHAT YOU DO

HAS NOT LOVE

THEN THE ACT

IS A CLANGING BELL

THAT IS OUT OF TUNE

BELIEFS

WHICH SHOULD

BETTER MAN

BELITTLE HIM

BETTER A WASTELAND

THEY THINK

THAN LET ANOTHER

SURVIVE

THE CHURCH

HAS A POOR TRACK RECORD

OF LETTING THE OTHER SURVIVE

IF WHAT WE DO

HASN’T GOT LOVE

MANY THINK

IT’S NAMBY-PAMBY

BUT TO LOVE ANOTHER

AT COST TO ONESELF

IS LIKE PETER

MEETING CHRIST ON THE ROAD

ASKING

QUO VADIS DOMINE

THE ANSWER

LED PETER

BACK TO ROME

TO DIE

FRANK A VOLLMER