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THE MOLLUSCS ON THEOLOGY
by Mick Evans
Mick Evans is a founder member of the Dinefwr Poets who meet regularly in Llandovery. He is the author of a book of poems, Burlesque, Cinnamon Press, Blaenau Ffestiniog, 2016, which includes a powerful sequence on the character of Punch.
there must be some mistake
we approach in the spirit of worship
through daylight cloistering in the invisible places
perfecting our orisons
that we may draw close to you at night
your brightnesses awe and terrify us
too humble openly to demonstrate our love
secretly until dawn we carve metaphors of praise into your brassicas
but you lay out salt to sear our skin
at first we assumed mere catastrophe
but constant recurrence
forces us to dismiss any possibility of natural disaster
we execute delicate trails in secretions of our essence
offering curled poems of praise to you
it seems you do not read them
but place blue pellets that rot us from the inside
until only thought is left
we die without hope in the absence of any sign
and without forgiveness for sins we do not recognise
in the frosts of the dark season we still our breath
and hope to wake again
faith tells us you do not consciously intend harm
that our suffering is part of some plan you alone comprehend
though the copper threads you stretch across our modest pathways
would turn others aside from loving intentions
we continue to martyr ourselves upon them
sometimes we are gathered tenderly
delicately prised from our divine offices
to be cast to wild creatures that devour us
in this land of sacrifice
in the light of such events our suspicions deepen
in spite of tests of faith we conduct our rituals with slow dignity
finding solace in our common history
but eventually may be compelled to confront our doubts
and direct our devotions
to more worthy gods
Next poem Coldrum Stones