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Tuesday, 9 April 2013



Poem for my Godson

Photo: copyright James Rainsford
 
 Because I had been asked
I came to pledge my care for you,
And stand in plain and profane sight
Of those who’d brought their frail beliefs
Into this sunlit shrine.
Where divine protection, dearly bought,
Provided poor relief to ease the fierce grief
Which holiness employs
To bless the testing time
The ripening years shall bring.

A superstition almost passed
Had cast perdition from their minds.
Providing moments to forswear
Their love affair with Mammon’s need
To feed all thoughts of sanctity into the
Greedy years, where new agnostic fears
Of failure taught that faith was nought
But baseless hope.

Knowing that reality beyond these
Hallowed walls, appalls the call
Of mysteries, waking them
From shallow sleep to keep their dread
Of nothingness at bay.

Still, for today they summoned care,
To swear for you a Christian view,
Within which few can truly keep
The weeping, needed to sustain
The pain which guilt exacts
From this first pact with
A cruel and vengeful God.

© James Rainsford 2013



Note to readers: Posted as my contribution to Open link Night at dVerse Poets. Your views are most welcome and I'll respond to all who visit here and leave a comment.  
My kind regards to all at dVerse Poets, James. 
 

9 comments:

  1. made me think of the time before luther's reformation..salvation and forgiveness for sin can't surely be bought..baseless hope..ugh.. they never understood who he is and what he is like...sad

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  2. Almost a god fearing poem. Everything can be forgiven if the seeker seeks redemption for what has been done. I'm not religious but I feel one of the gratest human attributes is forgiveness. Or maybe I'm just soft? Hehhee xx

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  3. ugh...there are many who have such a skewed view and perpetuate it as well in how they preach...one mans christianity is not another surely....and guilt, yeah i grew up in that church....

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  4. Thought provoking poem, a good write James.

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  5. Yahweh doesn't mind your false swearing.
    And apparently family doesn't either.
    And your grandson will be happy to know you are on his side
    especially if he is someday unlucky enough to discover
    no gods are

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  6. I can relate to this.

    Even as a child I found churches full of the most evil people..
    '... to keep their dread
    Of nothingness at bay.'

    I have (politely) turned down requests to be a Godparent - how could I be so without belief behind it?

    Wise words there writ James.

    Anna :o]

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  7. I don't know whose preaching you've been listening to, but the God I believe in is not cruel and vengeful - far from it.

    Although I don't agree with the message, the writing in this piece is strong asusual, James.

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  8. So much of church history is misunderstood (for better and worse). This poem does have quite the impact... Makes me wonder why someone who thinks God is vengeful and cruel, that faith is superstition would be a godparent... unless, there is a hint of hope that this isn't the case? And perhaps I read into it incorrectly (I do that often with poetry) Your words alway produce a response!

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  9. I have made myself a stranger to organized religion. There is no one-size-fits-all system of faith. Instead, I hold my beliefs dear as personal treasures and keep myself out of the position of being challenged for them.

    I am a godparent to my niece, not because of a religious obligation but because I love her and always want the best care for her.

    Powerful work.

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If you wish your views and opinions to be published here, please be polite and respectful. I welcome feedback on my work and will try to respond if you take the trouble to post a comment. Thanks for visiting 'The Sanctum of Sanity.' Hope you enjoyed the experience, James.