The poem for this Friday is one I wrote about the happily ever after that is fed to all of those who are descending, have descended, are contemplating a descent or arguing for the right to descend into marriage. The inspiration for the poem was a case of child abuse that I was privy to. In that case the child had been burned with a cigarette lighter tip. The abuser had left the lighter running until all the metal was extremely hot and then had essentially branded the child. The result was a very distinct and disturbing smiley face.
I don't believe that the Mormons have the exclusive jurisdiction of dysfunctional marriages. In fact, some of the problems may be inherent in marriage/humanity itself. I'm not completely down on the concept of marriage. As I say in the poem, marriage is the darkroom of the soul.
As with most of my Friday posts, check back later, because I have some commentary links I want to add.
ALTARED STATES
Kneeling over the altar
Gazing into each others eyes
Smiles interlocked
Mirrors cascading into an ever fading eternity
Off the back of her head.
Cigarette lighters make smiley faces
On flesh
If you heat them up long enough
Long slanted serrated eyes
From the Round nobs spun to
Create sparks with the flint
Running perpendicular
To the metal lips
Around the edge of the lighter.
Smiling anywhere the metal glows.
Sticks and stones
And cigarette lighters burn
But Words -- Words will never hurt you
Except with a daily constant harangue --
The spells of witches and warlocks
Exerting their dominion over another's soul
You need not fear -- For they only take the soul
Of the one they loved --
"You can't do that."
"You are so stupid."
"You are so fat."
"You can't do anything."
"You whore."
"You ass."
"YOU, YOU, YOU, YOu, You, you, you, yo . . ., y. . ."
Until none of "you" is left.
The flesh continues living
Scarred inside or out
Scars of smiley face facades to the outside world
But the burn goes deep.
Inside her
The world melts away
Possessed by him
The world melts away
In the glorious golden copulations
As seeds are sown --
You reap what you sow
And sex sows pain
In the betrayal of a mere glance --
The numbing of the bumping
The grinding of the repetition
The in and out between the souls
Starts out hot, warm and moist
And ends cold, damp and sticky.
Altering consciousness only for a moment
Before the knowledge of good and evil
Returns the now separate souls
Into the cold, cruel world
Yet in all our hearts
We still smile and lust after yet another.
Laundry copulates in the corner
Reproducing at a rabbit rate
And sickness
And hunger
And bills
And empty milk jugs
And sticky cylinders of unknown liquids
And pet shit
And junk mail
And laugh tracks
And pop music divas
And ads
And ads
And more ads
All showing bright smiling, cigarette lighter burn faces.
The photo bulb flash
Captures the smiles
Of those clad in white
Amidst sunsets, flowers and the Granite
Of Temples
Housing the altars
Of our altar-ed state
Altar-ing so young
Teens plunging
Out of Eden
Into Heaven
And then Hell --
The photos go into an album
The look of young love,
Untainted by the sewer of life
Simple, delicate gazes
Emanating joy and fulfillment
In another.
The altar --
The photos –
Not knowing that
Marriage is the dark room
Where
The soul develops.
That Death comes to all living looks
Rigor mortis of the eyes
Pupils stiff and unmoving
Cornea cold on the page,
Retina unreflective of the other soul
Just stagnate --
But the smile
Is burned
Light burned through the air
Leaving on the yellowing photo-paper flesh
An interminable grin
10 comments:
That poem touches me, today especially. Marriage hurts like hell.
One of your best.
The sick views of marriage by the Mormon church come across so utopian in the pretty talks in the pretty building that could have fed millions...
This is one of the last realities that will be faced--and refaced, by anyone with a mind and consciousness in the Mormon church.
Marriage IS the dark room--it is the filthy mirror in which we view our own ubiquitous faults and weakness.
Well done, and SO damn nice to meet you, oh Cantankerous One. ;0)
xoja
Well thank you ladies,
Marriage was so often that golden nirvana that was promised growing up and there is just no idea that reality rarely lives up to the ecstatic billing.
I know some people who have had fantastic relationships, not the least of which is my parents, and I commend them. I also know that the success came with a price tag that many aren't able to pay and some aren't willing. However the successful marriages didn't get that way by accident or happenstance -- you always earn your growth.
That last sentence may not be true, but I hope it is, because then I could at least feel like there is a modicum of justice in this existence.
There's not. Sorry.
OK! I'm a cynic! But the weight put on a marriage is typically just too much. It's a damn lot of work, and at least one partner has to give up a major part of themselves to make it go. Sometimes both do. Rarely does a marriage work when neither partner gives up something key about themselves.
Wow. I am speechless at the depth of your words here. Wow.
Oh, not to be too much a wet blanket, but I believe that photo has been photoshopped.....
Why isn't the groom naked?
I'm all for equal opportunity nudism.
:)
Sideon,
Equal opportunity nudism -- here is your link. As I explained, nude brides are plentiful, nude grooms on the other hand are rather sparse. I did look.
LB, thanks for your kind comments and Steve thanks for your cynicism, I find it refreshing.
Oh and Steve, if the photo was altered, it makes for a nice visual pun on the title of the post.
If you look closely, I think you'll see the brides waist is pointed in an entirely different direction. But it's a nice thought. As for why the groom isn't nude, that's probably because not that many gay guys have groom fantasies, while lots of straight guys have bride fantasies. Just a guess.
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