Dear Gary,
     Perhaps the 'warning' suggested to you that I wrote this poem with an
intention of being controversial. In fact I only added the header as a
courtesy, as I know some people can be very sensitive. I have no problem
myself with the idea of Christ awash with hormones, and I agree the first
stanza is mild,
I'm actually more interested in the sestet, which articulates things I
couldn't paraphrase into prose, about guilt and innocence, predator and
victim -the whole problem of reconciling the realities of nature with the
idea of a compassionate all-powerful deity.
As an agnostic, I think the only way I could write this poem was as
questions - does anyone have all the answers?
Kind regards,
 grasshopper

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Blankenship" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [THE-WORKS] New sub: Carnival (Warning-could cause offence)


And did the Devil set no fiercer test
when Jesus wandered in the wilderness?
What truths did wolf and jackal tongues confess,
and did he raise his splintered hands to bless
torn ewes, the eagle with her bloodied breast?
Who taught him that long howl of tendered flesh?

Grassy, difficult to set the entire work in questions.  Do we already know
the answers?

Difficult for me to comment on sonnets, but I wonder if the close should be
in two lines vs one.

BTW, to me in this day and age the idea of Jesus partaking of sins of the
flesh is relatively mild - at least with woman.  Now if you were to suggest
congress with men-

Thanks.

Gary


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