| January 29th, 2004 6:47 p.m. pst |
poetry
by Michael F. Nyiri
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copyright 1999-2004 by Michael F. Nyiri ElectricPoetry AllThingsMike |
January 29th, 2004 6:47 p.m. pst
"Religion and Dogma"
Poem for the New Year 2004
The Outline for Existence
Energy
Weather
Time
Calendars
Monotheism
Subjugation
Elation
Conflagration
HistoryThese are the stepping stones of faith
As have been practiced
As have been trodden
As have been fought overMankind was both
blessed and cursed
With curiosity
And a penchant to disagreeBook I
Graced with a
Finite amount of wisdom plus the
uncontrollable yearning for answers.
This fueled man's natural curiosity
The concept of time came first
And then man's curiosity was
Fueled by fire.It really all began with the weather
Mankind, from his first babysteps through history,
Knew that the key to knowledge lay in the
Patterns of the weather.
Time and weather
Weather and time
Those who understood the patterns in the weather
And the cyclical nature of time
Ruled the early races
And gained the greatest respectOf course these were the "Elders", who were those oldest.
Of course, they had seen these cycles for themselves,
And could teach the masses of their knowledge
They became great men, the fathers of prehistory,
And in time great men are worshiped For their knowledge
And those worshipped are soon revered as prophets.
Prophets who have a tendency to become gods.Early man had great respect for his gods.
Early man worshipped with feral abandon, and bloodthirsty relish.
Early man gave every unexplained idea it's own diety
Mankind also had no patience for famine or flood,
Weather again.
Playing tricks.
Not to be fooled by Mother Nature, mankind paid homage to his dieties,
Building larger altars on which to slaughter sacrifice both beast and brother
Until his gods were satisfied,
And then he could rest better.
Early man thinned his population regularly in the name of religion.Book II
Organized Religion soon overtook the planet,
A god of every flavor,
For mankind to savor.
And then a wise scholar in Galilee
Convinced twelve acolytes of his special gift
Soon a sect of one of oldest monothiestic faiths
Would split apart and become the world's most powerful religions
And a church that ruled the secular world for centuries
Imprinting it's witch hunts on the unbeliever
Other holy faiths concurred with and followed
Until it seemed there were many many gods again
And all these gods were the only gods to the poor faithful who worshipped themAfter a while, belief in one's gods became traditional
Tradition was passed on,
And when a prophet was stepped upon at home
He could always find a better place further west to preach.
Religious intolerance never found a place in any dictionary though
And that's the parable and the problem with history.
Someone doesn't tolerate another's faith,
And for some ironic reason they're neighbors who both claim the land
As the land of their forefathers and their religious symbologyNow the prophetry is myriad, preaching to millions over the airwaves,
Now the end is near.
Now is when mankind should realize he's been killing himself in
the name of religion for far too long.But then there's always the weather.
to 7:39pm
copyright 1999-2004 by Michael F. Nyiri
ElectricPoetry
AllThingsMike