bathing absolves sins
liberated from rebirth
spiritual source
**NOTE – I’m not an expert on the Ganges, but this is some of what I’ve learned.
unoriginal
single-file mentality
bowing to leader
Jacob had created an index listing the various kinds of sin the ministry members had committed; it was rather explicit. He gave us advance warning that it might feel like a sock in the gut, finally knowing all of the acts perpetrated against the innocent. It was negligence on their part, the leaders, to allow these false men into their commune. As penance, we forced ourselves to eat the moldy brown leftovers until we gagged. It gave us a sense of judicial retribution as we also flagellated each other with the segmented chain made of tiny slivers of sharp metal.
Inspired by Reena’s Exploration Challenge #272 – Word Prompt
& Moonwashed Weekly Prompt #134 – Dubious
in a dubious trance
feeling the same wavelength
indoctrination
The trailer is scary enough, but to really get a better understanding of indoctrination, you can watch the movie on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Vudu, Apple TV or Sling TV.
Inspired by Moonwashed Weekly Prompt #127 – Infinite &
Reena’s Exploration Challenge #265 – You live in a world where no gods exist.
for every mind conscious
there are infinite depictions
of what a god is
or what gods aren’t
every shape and form
every sort of dogma
every possibility of the imagination is presented
for humanity’s consumption
some believe there is one
others believe there are many
and more and more think
you live in a world where no gods exist
our world endures such ugliness
with deaths in the millions
from violence, cancer, abuse, war, starvation
and so many more atrocities
if a god or gods did exist
why would they allow
this fermentation of hideousness
to fester unchecked rather than abolish it
perhaps we live in a world where no gods exist
shocking passages
the people’s gilded guidance
inspired words frighten
This will be the last piece about a mythical creature that I write for the National Poetry Month Scavenger Hunt aka NPM 21. Sorry, Val but I have so much on my plate right now! Thanks for the invite though!
pasta as a god
mythical like all the rest
not for worshipping
The Flying Spaghetti Monster is the deity of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. The religion is also known as Pastafarianism. Bobby Henderson coined the FSM name in a satirical letter protesting the Kansas State Board of Education decision allowing the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in public school science classes.
The dictionary would define faith as having complete trust or confidence in someone or something. For those with a religious bent it is strongly related to a belief in a god and the dogma or doctrines of their chosen religion. For those indoctrinated into their religion as well. Faith to me simply means trusting something or someone without evidence they are worthy of that trust. And I generally don’t do that because I question everything that has not supplied me with reasonable evidence to be trusted.
Roots of Hope by Shantanu Baruah inspired me to think a bit deeper on the topic of faith and it also elicited this comment from me…
The roots of faith are steeped in commitment.
What a person believes deeply without evidence is their prerogative. I’m okay with that. That’s why my comment reflected what I felt about faith. Most believers of anything are committed to what they believe. It feels natural, correct and unquestionable. That last bit – unquestionable – is the part I’m not okay with.
Since the beginning of time, we have seen simple beliefs overturned with explanations as to why they are not the truth. As we increase our foundation of knowledge, beliefs get tossed out right and left, leaving us with more surety than what we had before. Belief in something then just becomes silly. As an example, how many of us were told that Santa Claus existed? And how many of us still do? If you do and are no longer a child, please seek help! But seriously, you understand the concept of “When you know better, you do better.” that Maya Angelou was referring to – when truths make themselves known, you can’t simply continue to believe in what is not true. It doesn’t make sense.
Many of you know that I don’t subscribe to the supernatural. I prefer a life based in reality and knowns but I realize that there are still many unknowns to contend with as I go about living. What I feel I do know is that those truths haven’t been understood or discovered yet, and may never present themselves in my lifetime. And that, makes sense.
his hateful words
fly into my face
the froth of rage and ravagement
cover my being
i’ll not forget the date soon
all exposed with my dress up
this change from innocent to damaged goods
it hardens my soul
as a white trail of semen
rolls down my leg
this sunday he’d preached love
but i could only feel and say hateful things
in the rectory late in the day
my parents writhing in agony
me, cold and still afraid
we all ponder what is truth
not one of us with the same outlook
theories or hypothesis’
as varied as the lives which surround us
haven’t we all witnessed people
who have such a zest that life never seems to end
and have written a multitude of stories over the norm
possessing a zeal which feels absent in us
accomplishments being even fewer
and those at the end of a relatively long life saying “it’s enough”
with a need or a want to move on
having endured so much hardship and pain
just wanting it over with
or those who just plod along
living relatively simple
but meaningful, loving lives
contributing a harmony of sorts
if god is life and life is nature and nature dictates our decisions
then maybe it’s the sheer will to remain alive
that what drives us should guide us
deciding our ultimate purpose or names this so-called god we want to prove
this belief of having a much-needed pull
for when the chips are down
something we engage with
when it’s all too much
i would submit that sheer will is supreme
this internal force is a pressure to endure
and can be what rules us
wow, what a concept to get behind
they say you can manifest what you want
yeah, but not without effort
i would submit you are your own god
and that god is will
These thoughts were inspired by this conversation about belief systems between Ricky Gervais and Russell Brand. The bit about it starts at approximately 33:40, but feel free to listen to it in its entirety as it was an interesting conversation.
I Write Her 