No Escape

It seems sins hunt you out and find you if you are Catholic. Even venial ones! Despite the mortal sins of others which go unpunished.

The only colour

in the shadow-grey

vestry is blue, while

the blood red

of the sacred heart

beats in stony silence

over the nave.

I suffer the indignity

of having been duped

into blind faith

before I made my escape,

before I flew

with wax wings

into the future

on a moon-lit path

to the sun.

But a black priest

follows me,

scythe in hand

waiting to reclaim

my soul.

 

28/09/19

Author's Note

Reviews

[Laura Kate]

This is so eerie! What torture to know that you have been duped yet the sense of helplessness implies it is too late to do anything about it, even having come into this knowledge. Sounds like something is haunting, stalking. Great imagery too with the sacred heart beating in stony silence, this is so well written.
Laura.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thank you Laura

[Einstein Noodle]

i like the use of the Cathedral .. such a grand history to them ..the work with colors and blood is powerful to me ... anyone who is or was Catholic will relate for sure .. and anyone raised in a Christian setting will too .. we are taught impossible tasks which "must" be completed .. like no more sinning ... right!! lets see ... who has done that .. oh yes ... Jesus Christ .. and that's it! no one else .. in fact the Christ child was born without sin .. how could He not be .. He is God's true son .. if we are to believe all the testimony given by Him and about Him .. so we end up with guilt more than anything else as a result .. because we fail to recognize the need to accept our forgiveness ... so we make our choices .. throw the baby out with the bath water or keep the clean baby ;))))))))))))) i have always like the Stone's Sympathy for the Devil ... but it always makes me feel uneasy and just a bit frightened ... weird huh!? i was raised Catholic from birth .. i'm a '49er ... i have never been able to return to worship in a Catholic Church but i do see the clean baby in it ... has the Church changed much for you?
E.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

As told in the poem Sir 'E', I escaped the ideology of Catholicism after being its servant as a child and teenager. However it has not escaped from me as original sin still stains my hands and that darkness still follows like a gathering storm. Many thanks.

[Einstein Noodle]

i hear you! i take it for you it hasn't changed much ... great title by the way ... fits perfectly ..we were frightened into believing ... not the best way to represent love is it!?

[gram linski]

ah, them good ole gods got a lot to think upon, and you say I am a fan of Poe, the black priest following me with a scythe is quite a dark, kinda thing

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Ah darkness gram is my place as I always eat my carrots! Many thanks. I'll send my priest friend to visit you soon!

[wordman]

profound write,maybe we are all duuped

[John Alexander McFadyen]

That is indeed a possibility Ron. Hope you are good. Many thanks.

[wordman]

you`re welcome