Poetry and Religion
Religions are poems. They concert
our daylight and dreaming mind, our
emotions, instinct, breath and native gesture
our daylight and dreaming mind, our
emotions, instinct, breath and native gesture
into the only whole thinking: poetry.
Nothing's said till it's dreamed out in words
and nothing's true that figures in words only.
Nothing's said till it's dreamed out in words
and nothing's true that figures in words only.
A poem, compared with an arrayed religion,
may be like a soldier's one short marriage night
to die and live by. But that is a small religion.
may be like a soldier's one short marriage night
to die and live by. But that is a small religion.
Full religion is the large poem in loving
repetition;
like any poem, it must be inexhaustible and complete
with turns where we ask Now why did the poet do that?
like any poem, it must be inexhaustible and complete
with turns where we ask Now why did the poet do that?
You can't pray a lie, said Huckleberry
Finn;
you can't poe one either. It is the same mirror;
mobile, glancing, we call it poetry,
you can't poe one either. It is the same mirror;
mobile, glancing, we call it poetry,
fixed centrally, we call it religion,
and God is the poetry caught in any religion,
caught, not imprisoned. Caught as in a mirror
and God is the poetry caught in any religion,
caught, not imprisoned. Caught as in a mirror
that he attracted, being in the world as
poetry
is in the poem, a law against its closure.
There'll always be religion around while there is poetry
is in the poem, a law against its closure.
There'll always be religion around while there is poetry
or a lack of it. Both are given, and
intermittent,
as the action of those birds - crested pigeon, rosella parrot -
who fly with wings shut, then beating, and again shut.
as the action of those birds - crested pigeon, rosella parrot -
who fly with wings shut, then beating, and again shut.
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