Other Voices, Other Rooms: PoemsWhy do we tell stories? Why are stories so indigenous to religion? Stories. Sacred stories. The three Western Scriptures express themselves most fully, and deeply, in stories. The original idea of "story" is "inquiry," the "result of research, information, knowledge," "telling, exposition, account, history." Its verb makes verbal these nouns: "to seek to know oneself, inform oneself, do research, inquire," "interrogate," "examine, explore, observe." All history is story. Most Scripture is story. Such stories, all stories, ask for--even demand--attentive listening, interpretation, and reinterpretation. Each of us, therefore, becomes an interpreter, speaking in tongues (so to speak), even if only for herself or himself. The poems here offer such explorations; they take scriptural stories and imagine--and reimagine--them in order to offer the reader different angles and perspectives, new experiences. Such experiences, such perspectives, can help us see the Scriptures, and ourselves, anew. |
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Abel ACTS OF PILATE Adam Adam’s Adonai Aelius Amos angels Barabbas BDAG believe belovèd blind blood breath Caesar Cairns Caravaggio Christian command Crown crucified dare dark David dead death demons Deut disciples dust east of Eden Eliot emperor Exod flesh followers Galilean Galilee God’s Gospel of Mary Greek hands haruspex healing hear Hebrew Bible Herod Herod Antipas Holocaust insurrectionist Jerusalem Jesus Jewish Jews Judas Judean King LACRIMAE Latin leper look LORD Lord’s Maccabees man’s Mary Masada Matt means Midrash on Genesis Midrash on John Midrash on Luke Midrash on Matthew mirror Moses murder NRSV once Passover Pilate Pliny poems pray prophesied prophet Qur’ān reader RESURRECTION Roman Roman triumph Rome sacred Satan says Scripture Shema shit Sicarii slave soldier speak story sword T.S. Eliot tell Temple Testament THIRD EYE BLIND Thomas Merton vision Vivian walks watch wine woman womb women word