Old King James...are you to
Blame for lack of rays
Into cold rooms where
Monks, scribes, carved
Their names
For lack of shame,
Want for warmth...
How many phrases...
The scribble of shivers,
Not corrected for
Future Dead Sea
Scholars who toss a
Coin in meaning for
A word, a letter...
Fodder for present
Central-air halls.
Old King James, you
Are to blame for torching
The future with
Freezing monks and
Sneezing scribes.
I want to say Hallelujah for the vision, bravery, and blistering brevity evident in this series, but I won't, I'll shout it! The problem with my praising this is that I sing from the same hymn sheet..... However, setting aside its social relevance, and the accuracy and implications of its vision (in my view) , I don't think it would be heretical to say that much of its power comes from its tight, condensed and yet accessible form. This is very strong, high quality writing - and is consistently so throughout each of the Heresy series. The voice is relaxed, the language unforced and musical, especially in No 1, and the potent imagery plays a very effective part in getting the decisive message across. Impressively expressive poetic craft! jim
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Very insightful. Research does provide us new revelations. Too bad so many cannot assimilate the new with the old as if God has said everything that s/he will ever say and our world is dead to any kind of new language.