When I Was Persuaded Poem by Raymond Farrell

When I was finally persuaded
The pain was cerebral in origin
I quit complaining about the dead
Now buried and gone.

Domine, Domine Noster, thy name how marvelous
Is in this large world spread abroad.

I prayed alone
No one shared my burden
In spite of all reasoning
I came before the altar
Kneeling in contrition
To beg mercy and forgiveness.

Where do I begin
I have my reasons
I too can flee into a hermitage
Into madness, into death
But I escape upon this page
Where symbols freely
Rant and rage.

I longed for improvement
Stood for a new arrangement
For a chance of life all around
Then balanced all brought all to mind
And pushed the latches down.

What has been
Will never be again
What is not seen
Endures in the recesses
Of the mind.

Carnal is my spirit
Longing for change
Hoping tomorrow will be
And not the same
As today has been.

But who can separate us
From this unfathomable, unutterable
Unwanted, unreasonable, demise
Which is our birthright
From all eternity
Plunging us headlong
Into all eternity.

I persuaded myself
There's freedom on the wings
Of tomorrow
Each meted out some portion
Of pain and sorrow
Is called by hope
To endure steadfastly
Unmoveable knowing that
Now our salvation is nearer
Than when we believed.