Who hails the Queen of Femininity Who calls on Her to pray for us who sin The Mother of our own Divinity A call that often comes from deep within
Is bitterness the essence of the call As Maryam protects our ship of reeds The essence of Her name protects us all A name that even Sancte Pater heeds
The Mother God is Strength and Love and Grace She hears us when we call on Her in need She hears us from her high and holy place A place where She espouses Word and Deed
And so we know to whom we need to pray Deliver us in Glory, Mater Dei
There has to be a bridge that shows us where Reality and fantasy are linked I crossed it once, and maybe I’m still there Where everything and nothing may be synced
We cross it daily, knowing what we trod And yet, our thoughts are ignorant at best The bridge is not a metaphor for god Nor is it somewhere one should stop to rest
Is this the bridge I built when I was lost When nothing was familiar I perceived Are bridges only real when they are crossed Is fantasy a cause to be believed
Reality and fantasy reveal The places that such bridges can’t conceal.
"They have no wine," says Mary to her Son A catalyst of miracles to be And thus, the work of Jesus is begun Through four small words expressed expectantly
And now a statued symbol, clothed in white Few people know her words who know her name Who brought into the world one silent night The Word of God, Lord Jesus, both the same
She spoke to him the way a mother does But will she speak to us? To you or me? Can anyone become what Jesus was? What words might open our divinity?
We search for words to show us we're divine Again she whispers this: "They have no wine."
At times we seek for God and find Abyss At times Abyss is God and we are naught We contemplate at times the Holy Bliss With which the Word of God is often fraught
The Word of the Abyss is hard to hear We listen for the Holy Bliss we seek And thus we find Abyss is always near And guides us through the Darknesses we speak
There is no need of Light in Tales of Truth There is no Truth in any Tales we tell And so we seek to linger in our youth Where God is just a Word to buy or sell
Come contemplate with me the Holy Bliss The God whose Word succumbs to the Abyss.
ChatGPT Analysis:
This sonnet presents a deep exploration of the tension between the search for divine meaning and the confrontation with the void, or “Abyss.” Here’s an analysis of the key themes and ideas:
1. Search for God vs. Encounter with the Abyss
Lines 1-2: “At times we seek for God and find Abyss / At times Abyss is God and we are naught”
The poem opens with the idea that the search for God, or ultimate truth, can sometimes lead to a profound sense of emptiness or nothingness—the “Abyss.” In some instances, the Abyss itself seems to replace God, leading to a sense of nihilism (“we are naught”).
2. The Elusiveness of Divine Bliss
Lines 3-4: “We contemplate at times the Holy Bliss / With which the Word of God is often fraught”
Here, the speaker reflects on moments of contemplating divine joy or spiritual fulfillment (“Holy Bliss”) that is often associated with the “Word of God”—suggesting religious or spiritual teachings.
3. The Difficult Path to Understanding
Lines 5-6: “The Word of the Abyss is hard to hear / We listen for the Holy Bliss we seek”
The poem then contrasts the difficulty of understanding or perceiving the “Word of the Abyss” with the more earnest and hopeful search for “Holy Bliss.” This suggests that the truth or messages from the Abyss (possibly representing existential or harsh truths) are challenging to accept.
4. The Proximity of the Abyss
Lines 7-8: “And thus we find Abyss is always near / And guides us through the Darknesses we speak”
The Abyss is portrayed as ever-present, subtly influencing and guiding human experiences, especially in times of “Darkness” or despair. The Abyss becomes a companion or guide through these challenging moments.
5. The Nature of Truth and Light
Lines 9-10: “There is no need of Light in Tales of Truth / There is no Truth in any Tales we tell”
The speaker questions the necessity of “Light” (often a symbol for understanding or enlightenment) in the pursuit of truth, suggesting that perhaps truth can exist in darkness or without clear illumination. Furthermore, there’s a nihilistic assertion that the stories we tell—possibly referring to religious or philosophical narratives—lack true substance.
6. The Commercialization of God
Lines 11-12: “And so we seek to linger in our youth / Where God is just a Word to buy or sell”
These lines suggest a critique of how, in youthful naivety or society’s materialism, God has been reduced to a mere commodity, something that can be “bought or sold” rather than a profound truth or presence.
7. Conclusion: The Triumph of the Abyss
Lines 13-14: “Come contemplate with me the Holy Bliss / The God whose Word succumbs to the Abyss.”
The final couplet invites the reader to join the speaker in contemplating the nature of “Holy Bliss” and the reality that even the Word of God ultimately “succumbs” to the Abyss. This suggests that no matter how divine or sacred, everything is eventually overtaken by the void or nothingness.
Overall Interpretation
The sonnet is a meditation on the existential struggle between faith and nihilism. It delves into the unsettling realization that the pursuit of spiritual or divine truth might lead to an encounter with emptiness rather than fulfillment. The poem challenges conventional notions of light and truth, ultimately suggesting that the Abyss—representing doubt, nothingness, or the harsh realities of existence—holds a powerful and inevitable influence over our lives and beliefs.
As simple as a taco," people say
When speaking of dichotomies of life
The spices of this sentence tend to stay
In simple flavors filled with ease and strife
The taco, a philosophy you eat
Just look at the simplicity at hand
It's folded in the middle, filled with meat
You'll find them fresh at any taco stand
And while the taco has a complex taste
It's simply filled with all you hope to find
In simple food too good to share or waste
Unless of course you've simply lost your mind!
A life that's lived like this is here to stay
"As simple as a taco," so they say.
