I'M Reading Psalm 31... Poem by Michael Shepherd

Sin….
what is it? Is there such a thing?

Is it, would it be, a good thing to have?
do I want it? or do I have it,
so deep, it’s more trouble than illumination…?

All that sadness, all that sense of failure,
all that sense of impending doom,
all that guilt in respect of
person or persons unknown…
or that always trying to please persons
known or unknown…
yes, that makes sense…

So, who am I supposed to have sinned against?
Since I’m a bit hazy about God, then
have I sinned against myself?

Memories now of schooldays – Michael,
you’ve let yourself down…and then
of course they have to add, and you’ve let down
your parents, and you’ve let me down
as your teacher….seems I’m some sorta
team player… who picked this team anyway?

OK, let’s just suppose that there’s
some vast, perfect self-balancing system
running the whole caboosh (with maybe,
wholly good intentions) so that
if you steer badly, then there’s
first the hard shoulder, then the grass verge,
then maybe if you’re on the race track,
piled-up tires, some sort of resistant and yet yielding wall..

and after the hospital period, your steering
is rather more careful, rather more attentive…

so maybe, a sense of … let’s call it
good roadsmanship –
‘Paradise Garden Welcomes Careful Drivers’…
would be a good thing … say ‘sin’
but smile as you say it …

just a warning sign - 'Black Spot'; 'Dangerous Bend';
where the other guys came to grief...

and life – the highs and oh those deepdown downlows –
is more about being your very agreeable self,
and somebody else’s idea of sin
very much a thing of the past;
the neighbours wave at you,
and the postman seems glad to see you.