Reborn

I heard it said that,

except a man

be born again,

he cannot see

the kingdom of God.

I became a willful,

petulant child,

traded a diamond

for ashes and dust,

scorned the humble

candle of true love,

and tempered my

fragile glass heart

in the fire of lust.

Reviews

[Fran Marie]

"Rebel Yell" don't know if you're familiar
with that song by Billy Idol..came to mind
while reading your poem ..you being the
petulant child ..burned the humble candle
of love and tempered the fragile
glass heart over a fire of lust

nice work

[Laz K.]

yes, i remember seeing billy idol on MTV back in the day. there's something about "bad boys" that is attractive. we all fantasize about breaking rules, and rebelling. but, it does take a "tempered heart" to deal with the consequences.

thanks for reading and commenting. :)

[Fran Marie]

yes,.consequences.. that's true
you re s o very welcome;

[barleygirl]

I've also heard it said that God loves each of us equally & fully, no matter whether we buy into all the religious hype or not. And I believe He does. He loves this petulant child, I can say that much for sure! *wink! wink!*

[Ruth]

It is human nature to rebel against the inner journey at times, a natural nature. There does arrive a time though when one considers that rebirth and what it would mean...like nature cleanses the dawn each day, we too must cleanse our logic and senses to rationalise in this world. Truth is personal, each has their own truth and yet universally, truth is there for all to pluck from the ether...deciding what that truth is however, may take longer than thought or may lead to the defiance within self, of self...rambling but your poem is thought provoking :)

[Laz K.]

That ineffable Truth contains everything - the "good" and the "bad." We have limited, little minds that like categories like love-lust, moral-immoral, etc.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

[Delmar Cooper]

It's a choice I guess, and at that point in life when there is a chance, opportunity, offering, of lust it may seem to be the exactly right choice. And it may well be the exactly right choice. Hindsight will let you know.

[Eilis]

I like the two faces of this poem. I think about the Janus idea. The one head housing the ability to see two ways at once. You begin with the kingdom of God and the title alludes to the crux of the Christian doctrine—that a person must become new and die to self as Christ died. But it is more of a being reborn into the flesh. Like being the saint and choosing to be reborn the sinner. Perhaps this is more common than growing into goodness. The road to ruin flows easier than the climb to self-perfection. The disillusionment with self can lead to some dark or superficial places. And perhaps being wounded in love — whether that love is earthly or spiritual — can lead to a thirst for the easy and immediately gratifying.

I enjoyed the way your poem moved from one register to another and seemed to seek disguise in unfolding. This was my view of it, at least. What we seek is not always what we find and what we find can make us into things that will surprise us in the quiet moments. If we never rebel, I fear we have never lived. Especially in faith. It is an empty faith that is never tested. A fine poem. I enjoy it very much.

[Laz K.]

Your review is very-very insightful. It's almost uncanny, and it makes me feel defenseless.

Art is of course a way of self-expression, but it is also a way of disguise - as you pointed out. I think writers, maybe more than others, are compelled to present themselves to the world, but in a roundabout way.

Some things cannot be directly poured into words anyway, so the message is often mysterious and it takes either someone who can relate to it through experience, or someone who reads very attentively.

Anyway, I just wanted to say you really got this one, and reading your words was like looking into a mirror.

So, thank you for taking the time and effort to read and review. :)

[Eilis]

You’re welcome. I’m happy if I captured something of your meaning in my reading. It is a subject I understand and one I’ve attempted writing on myself.

[John the Baptist]

I read a tale of lost love in these lines. Lust appears to be the culprit, but that is a young man's hazard. It used to be my favorite of the seven deadly, but time has overthrown it in favor of sloth.

[Laz K.]

Lost love? BINGO!
Lust, I think, is unfairly treated in our world. It has the potential to teach us just as much as love - if we take love as Platonic, spiritual connection. Lust will invariably land one in trouble, and is extremely destructive, but therein lies its potential to teach painful, but useful, and necessary lessons.

[Chris Shaw]

Thinking about youth and all those rebels, all those bad boys and girls who burn the candle at both ends and much, much more. They usually run out of steam as they mature in life. Yes the bonfire becomes a few burnt out embers. There's hope for everyone. Passage of life. Very nicely conveyed lines Laz.

Chris

[Laz K.]

"There's hope for everyone." Exactly!

Thanks for reading and commenting. :)