In childhood it was belief
with total innocence,
No questioning or
instances of elders disrespect.
Simply, blind faith filled
with the flames of fear,
Man-made rules sought to
punish and ridicule.
Steadfast until reasoning
raised its own doubts,
Infallibility was eventually
placed on shaky ground.
Hypocritical men and women
of the cloth exposed,
Stifling acts of cruelty
and duplicity in dark recesses.
Pontificating from pulpits
whilst traumatising souls,
Catechismal canon and
doctrines have crumbled away.
Centuries of old habits
hidden within terse teachings,
Modernised or erased to
appease a fading popularity.
One now expects to set aside
what once was mortal,
Sinfulness diluted or
deleted has new celebrity status.
Individually, seeking truth
is a perilous consideration,
Perhaps a soliloquy of
prayer returns more assurance.
©Copyright Eileen T O’Neill 24/05/2015
I thought that was lovely!
ReplyDeleteIn childhood it was belief with total innocence,
ReplyDeleteNo questioning or instances of elders disrespect.
Simply, blind faith filled with the flames of fear,
Man-made rules sought to punish and ridicule.
The opening lines of the soliloquy really spoke to me.. children are so innocent .. their mind made to mold.. in which ever direction the adult wishes to.. "man-made rules" tend to ridicule us even today.. with their illogical reasoning.. wish that children are brought up to become fine individuals :)
An excellent poem... as always Eileen :D
Lots of love,
Sanaa
Your poem takes me back to those days of "Pontificating from pulpits whilst traumatising souls". I like the idea of a "soliloquy of prayer", as we find our own relationship with God.
ReplyDeleteThe power of prayers is unsurpassed.
ReplyDeletethere were familiar references in your poem here that made it entertaining to read. i love your views. totally understandable. thanks!
ReplyDeleteEileen this rang true for me as we grew up in innocence and blind faith...now not so much....love the ending.
ReplyDeleteDonna@LivingFromHappiness
Oh I for me it can never be that easy.. there are so many complications.. even as a child I knew that.. but its a lovely poem..
ReplyDeleteI do think this is so true. When we were young we had that blind faith. Unfortunately there were those who betrayed our blind faith & made us skeptics. This is sad in one respect, but in another it is not a bad thing that those who wear robes are more accountable. And yes, a soliloquy of prayer would be a good thing!
ReplyDeleteI do tend to think one's personal, private relationship with God is the essential.
ReplyDeleteI hope that now so many people in the clergy have been exposed, those who remain are more honest and can really help people as they should always have done.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you Eileen. A soliliquey is probably the purest, most sincere form of prayer.
ReplyDeleterelationship with god has to be personal, independent of any institution...
ReplyDeleteSeeking truth is a perilous consideration indeed! True that!
ReplyDeleteIn the end you must trust yourself as the rest of the world cannot be relied upon.
ReplyDeleteOne now expects to set aside what once was mortal,
ReplyDeleteSinfulness diluted or deleted has new celebrity status.
Very true Eileen! One has to adapt to changing times. It is no more accepting them blindly to be shoved down their throats. One gets questioned every minute along the way! But contrary to sane thinking sometimes 'bad' are appreciated.
Hank
Acceptance and recovery surely come from inside but perhaps those questions we never thought to raise will help protect future generations..childhood innocence should always be unquestionable...poeerful poem
ReplyDeleteIndeed, we were programmed in the childhood with no questions if it was true to our soul...~ never late to ponder about faith and spiritual connection...
ReplyDeleteQuestions are discouraged when we are younger, it doesn't keep them from growing.
ReplyDeleteSo true, Eileen. I think this is why, more and more, people are turning to introspection, contemplation, spirituality and communion with nature and questioning some of the pronouncements and interpretations of organized clerical entities.
ReplyDelete