A short history of religion
it is not entirely unexpected, this
long night. it is a constant
in this world that we will
spend half our life
in some darkness or another:
sleeping, dying, sobbing alone behind
drawn curtains.
nevertheless, we pack up our cigarettes, our worrisome
habits and addictions, and go outside
where we pretend to understand the sudden
moonlight, but we know nothing: everything we can see
is silhouette, shadow puppet, stick figure.
the streetlamps do little for us. the walls seem grey and
smooth, a blur of plastered stone.
we’ve got a long way to go before we get used to this.
if you get to the edge of the neighborhood before the
rest of us, send some sort of soft signal back:
a sound, a scent; something that we might see without
smoked glass in front of us. let us know how far we’ve got to go
before we get used to the idea that there are colors out there.
wave if you don’t get lost, or even if you do.
Dark Matter 
October 18th, 2004 at 2:41 pm
One way to understand religion is a system of ideologies and dogmas. In this sense, religion frequently locks people in, blinds us.
I think the message from the end of your poem is positive. I’d like to see this waving myself.
Incidentally, why is it a “soft” signal.
I like the ending.
October 18th, 2004 at 2:41 pm
One way to understand religion is a system of ideologies and dogmas. In this sense, religion frequently locks people in, blinds us.
I think the message from the end of your poem is positive. I’d like to see this waving myself.
Incidentally, why is it a “soft” signal.
I like the ending.
October 18th, 2004 at 2:41 pm
One way to understand religion is a system of ideologies and dogmas. In this sense, religion frequently locks people in, blinds us.
I think the message from the end of your poem is positive. I’d like to see this waving myself.
Incidentally, why is it a “soft” signal.
I like the ending.
October 18th, 2004 at 2:41 pm
One way to understand religion is a system of ideologies and dogmas. In this sense, religion frequently locks people in, blinds us.
I think the message from the end of your poem is positive. I’d like to see this waving myself.
Incidentally, why is it a “soft” signal.
I like the ending.
October 18th, 2004 at 2:41 pm
One way to understand religion is a system of ideologies and dogmas. In this sense, religion frequently locks people in, blinds us.
I think the message from the end of your poem is positive. I’d like to see this waving myself.
Incidentally, why is it a “soft” signal.
I like the ending.
October 18th, 2004 at 2:41 pm
One way to understand religion is a system of ideologies and dogmas. In this sense, religion frequently locks people in, blinds us.
I think the message from the end of your poem is positive. I’d like to see this waving myself.
Incidentally, why is it a “soft” signal.
I like the ending.
October 18th, 2004 at 2:41 pm
One way to understand religion is a system of ideologies and dogmas. In this sense, religion frequently locks people in, blinds us.
I think the message from the end of your poem is positive. I’d like to see this waving myself.
Incidentally, why is it a “soft” signal.
I like the ending.
October 18th, 2004 at 2:12 pm
Sometimes it is, but sometimes it isn’t.
And more often, I think we think we understand, but all we do is recognize a different mystery.
As for “religion:” well, perhaps. It was originally “philosophy,” as a nod to Plato’s cave; but I think I like religion better — especially with the reference to following the lost searcher at the end…
October 18th, 2004 at 2:12 pm
Sometimes it is, but sometimes it isn’t.
And more often, I think we think we understand, but all we do is recognize a different mystery.
As for “religion:” well, perhaps. It was originally “philosophy,” as a nod to Plato’s cave; but I think I like religion better — especially with the reference to following the lost searcher at the end…
October 18th, 2004 at 2:12 pm
Sometimes it is, but sometimes it isn’t.
And more often, I think we think we understand, but all we do is recognize a different mystery.
As for “religion:” well, perhaps. It was originally “philosophy,” as a nod to Plato’s cave; but I think I like religion better — especially with the reference to following the lost searcher at the end…
October 18th, 2004 at 2:12 pm
Sometimes it is, but sometimes it isn’t.
And more often, I think we think we understand, but all we do is recognize a different mystery.
As for “religion:” well, perhaps. It was originally “philosophy,” as a nod to Plato’s cave; but I think I like religion better — especially with the reference to following the lost searcher at the end…
October 18th, 2004 at 2:12 pm
Sometimes it is, but sometimes it isn’t.
And more often, I think we think we understand, but all we do is recognize a different mystery.
As for “religion:” well, perhaps. It was originally “philosophy,” as a nod to Plato’s cave; but I think I like religion better — especially with the reference to following the lost searcher at the end…
October 18th, 2004 at 2:12 pm
Sometimes it is, but sometimes it isn’t.
And more often, I think we think we understand, but all we do is recognize a different mystery.
As for “religion:” well, perhaps. It was originally “philosophy,” as a nod to Plato’s cave; but I think I like religion better — especially with the reference to following the lost searcher at the end…
October 18th, 2004 at 2:12 pm
Sometimes it is, but sometimes it isn’t.
And more often, I think we think we understand, but all we do is recognize a different mystery.
As for “religion:” well, perhaps. It was originally “philosophy,” as a nod to Plato’s cave; but I think I like religion better — especially with the reference to following the lost searcher at the end…
October 18th, 2004 at 2:07 pm
It could be called “A Short History of Religion,” or it could be called some other way. I think it should be called some other way, because you do not talk here about organizing churches and locking people into some form of ideology. You talk about letting us all known that there are colors and hues, and scents…
I like this part:
“and go outside
where we pretend to understand the sudden
moonlight, “
However, isn’t it the case that sometimes we go outside
where we understand the sudden
moonlight?
I wonder whether you could return to this idea more explicitely at the end.
Take care.
October 18th, 2004 at 2:07 pm
It could be called “A Short History of Religion,” or it could be called some other way. I think it should be called some other way, because you do not talk here about organizing churches and locking people into some form of ideology. You talk about letting us all known that there are colors and hues, and scents…
I like this part:
“and go outside
where we pretend to understand the sudden
moonlight, “
However, isn’t it the case that sometimes we go outside
where we understand the sudden
moonlight?
I wonder whether you could return to this idea more explicitely at the end.
Take care.
October 18th, 2004 at 2:07 pm
It could be called “A Short History of Religion,” or it could be called some other way. I think it should be called some other way, because you do not talk here about organizing churches and locking people into some form of ideology. You talk about letting us all known that there are colors and hues, and scents…
I like this part:
“and go outside
where we pretend to understand the sudden
moonlight, “
However, isn’t it the case that sometimes we go outside
where we understand the sudden
moonlight?
I wonder whether you could return to this idea more explicitely at the end.
Take care.
October 18th, 2004 at 2:07 pm
It could be called “A Short History of Religion,” or it could be called some other way. I think it should be called some other way, because you do not talk here about organizing churches and locking people into some form of ideology. You talk about letting us all known that there are colors and hues, and scents…
I like this part:
“and go outside
where we pretend to understand the sudden
moonlight, “
However, isn’t it the case that sometimes we go outside
where we understand the sudden
moonlight?
I wonder whether you could return to this idea more explicitely at the end.
Take care.
October 18th, 2004 at 2:07 pm
It could be called “A Short History of Religion,” or it could be called some other way. I think it should be called some other way, because you do not talk here about organizing churches and locking people into some form of ideology. You talk about letting us all known that there are colors and hues, and scents…
I like this part:
“and go outside
where we pretend to understand the sudden
moonlight, “
However, isn’t it the case that sometimes we go outside
where we understand the sudden
moonlight?
I wonder whether you could return to this idea more explicitely at the end.
Take care.
October 18th, 2004 at 2:07 pm
It could be called “A Short History of Religion,” or it could be called some other way. I think it should be called some other way, because you do not talk here about organizing churches and locking people into some form of ideology. You talk about letting us all known that there are colors and hues, and scents…
I like this part:
“and go outside
where we pretend to understand the sudden
moonlight, “
However, isn’t it the case that sometimes we go outside
where we understand the sudden
moonlight?
I wonder whether you could return to this idea more explicitely at the end.
Take care.
October 18th, 2004 at 2:07 pm
It could be called “A Short History of Religion,” or it could be called some other way. I think it should be called some other way, because you do not talk here about organizing churches and locking people into some form of ideology. You talk about letting us all known that there are colors and hues, and scents…
I like this part:
“and go outside
where we pretend to understand the sudden
moonlight, “
However, isn’t it the case that sometimes we go outside
where we understand the sudden
moonlight?
I wonder whether you could return to this idea more explicitely at the end.
Take care.