"The peacekeeper in me is very invested in staying connected to my community, and some of the people in it are Christian." ------- I really hear this because I've been here too. I just had a conversation yesterday about how I do/do not read the Bible. Gratefully, it was a close friend and the conversation wasn't tricky, but still, "how" is a big and looming question. It sort of swirls around one's mind, "how do I explain, what's important to explain, what do I want to share, what do they need to know, what do they want to know".
And these lines, wow:
"...the constant
itchy
discomfort,
the blazing
pain
of wearing
doctrine
that
is so small—
it diminishes god
and everyone
who touches it"
Truth. Itchy discomfort, blazing pain, wearing doctrine that's too small, it diminishes everything including the one who it's for
I love this poem. I love the pacing, the line length, the way the words and lines feel punchy and urgent but also slow and languid, like you're meandering down a really, really important path. Slow journey, but incredibly important journey.
Thank-you for sharing this poem, and the others in this series. Thank-you, truly <3
Dude, thank you for responding with such thoughtfulness and care. Putting these poems out is a little scary, and it helps so much to know that you get it. You are so welcome and so appreciated here!
You really describe that feeling perfectly. Itchy and too small. Church claustrophobia is really real.
I've been doing deconstruction before I even knew that that was a real thing or a word. I think it's a really active process for longer than one might expect. But then again Church played a huge part in my formative years and I'm pretty much doing the unlearning of all of that now.
Your poem is giving me language to my experience. Thank you.
Oh, man. Yes, whenever I think I’ve pulled apart the last tangled threads, I discover another knotted up mass to untangle and sort out. May be a till-I-die kind of process.
"The peacekeeper in me is very invested in staying connected to my community, and some of the people in it are Christian." ------- I really hear this because I've been here too. I just had a conversation yesterday about how I do/do not read the Bible. Gratefully, it was a close friend and the conversation wasn't tricky, but still, "how" is a big and looming question. It sort of swirls around one's mind, "how do I explain, what's important to explain, what do I want to share, what do they need to know, what do they want to know".
And these lines, wow:
"...the constant
itchy
discomfort,
the blazing
pain
of wearing
doctrine
that
is so small—
it diminishes god
and everyone
who touches it"
Truth. Itchy discomfort, blazing pain, wearing doctrine that's too small, it diminishes everything including the one who it's for
I love this poem. I love the pacing, the line length, the way the words and lines feel punchy and urgent but also slow and languid, like you're meandering down a really, really important path. Slow journey, but incredibly important journey.
Thank-you for sharing this poem, and the others in this series. Thank-you, truly <3
Dude, thank you for responding with such thoughtfulness and care. Putting these poems out is a little scary, and it helps so much to know that you get it. You are so welcome and so appreciated here!
I get it, I've been there too when posting! So glad to be part of your community 🩷🩷
I was about to write that Katie should connect with you... but here you are!!
You really describe that feeling perfectly. Itchy and too small. Church claustrophobia is really real.
I've been doing deconstruction before I even knew that that was a real thing or a word. I think it's a really active process for longer than one might expect. But then again Church played a huge part in my formative years and I'm pretty much doing the unlearning of all of that now.
Your poem is giving me language to my experience. Thank you.
Oh, man. Yes, whenever I think I’ve pulled apart the last tangled threads, I discover another knotted up mass to untangle and sort out. May be a till-I-die kind of process.