Faith and Doubt #2 – poetry by Bruce Whealton">Faith and Doubt #2 – poetry by Bruce Whealton
Published March 26, 2009 | 
">Bruce WhealtonThis is a follow-up poem to the previous poem in this series of 2 poems.
Faith and Doubt #2
I go about my activities
with the church
and wonder how my questions
are received by others
when it's time to share one's faith.
There is such confusion for me -
Doubts?
Not exactly doubts but
confusion.
Let me explain...
please, if you will indulge me...
We read from the Gospel accordion to John,
chapter 3, verse 16:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish,
but have eternal life.”
Why?
I've been a Christian my whole life;
you'd think I'd know the answer and would not
have to ask why.
I feel very much like a child
in my approach to certain matters -
matters relating to finding meaning in life,
what is real
and the nature of things – everything -
and so I ask “Why”
quite often...
just like a child does,
so an explanation must be that simple
just as one might explain this to a 5 year old.
Why did God give his son away?
He gave his son to die for us?
Why?
Because we are bad?
Was Jesus Bad?
No? Then why was he killed?
I wouldn't kill him.
Did God kill him?
God let his Son die?
Why?
Do you see where this is going?
We keep returning to “why?”
because it makes no sense...
When I think
about that little boy that I feel that I am
in these moments,
when I ask this,
I find it rather strange
to be asking this...
Because
I always, for so long, understood these things.
I was taught the answers
and they seemed to make sense to me...
the answers made sense to the boy that I was
going back as far as I can remember...
I don't know what the 5 year old boy
that I was understood...
but then into my adulthood
and for years,
it made sense.
Now and of late,
I keep thinking
“that doesn't make sense,”
and I want to add,
“I do want to understand
and believe.”
March 26, 2009
Poetic Crimes – Poem by Bruce Whealton">Poetic Crimes – Poem by Bruce Whealton
Published March 16, 2009 | ">Bruce WhealtonPoetic Crimes
I think there ought to be punishments,
upon those who misuse poetry.
Two sins,
two wrongs
in the use of poetry.
One is to claim to have written,
something written by another -
to plagiarize…
a wrong deserving of shame
or that one should be shamed by others
if caught.
These things should not go unpunished!
It is more than just a theft -
there is a greater wrong involved
because of the sacredness of poetry.
I think God gives us this
as some divine gift.
As a Christian, I’ve had somewhat
specific ideas about certain things.
The Muse, as they say,
I believe to be something of the essence of
God or perhaps we can represent her
as an angel – but still she is
an essence of God.
There is another serious wrong
or sin
and that is to lie with poetry.
One need not bare one’s self too much,
or reveal that which is private,
or over-expose oneself.
That is a reasonable right of any poet.
No poet though, should ever knowingly
use poetry in a deceptive fashion…
to create a poem that is false…
that should be a serious sin.
I have been the victim of this sin,
this wrongful use of poetry.
She had chosen to deceive me
with a poem on Valentine’s day.
She got the idea that she needed to make me think
that she loved me.
To use me.
The poet in me feels a certain
fury for her use of a poem
in this fashion…
she claimed herself that it was a poor poem.
So what.
What was wrong, so wrong,
was to use poetry
in the commission of this deception.
There ought to be punishments
for those who invite the Muses
to deceive
and create false
and abusive
poetry.
Bruce Whealton March 16, 2009
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