sponge

the chatter of children
  on the morning of Christ’s emergence
& a cat scratching at the door
  seeking the comfort of flames
is the beauty in being
  & to know & see
yellow petals flutter in the sun
  the knobbed pine drop its cones
when bid by the wind

not for the taste of hemlock sweet
  I dream the things that are
that move
that touch me
  as a needle thrust to the bone

Reference to the birth & death of Christ. I wrote this poem about 45 years ago & some people were very upset that I could express such ideas. Shows how indoctrinated & stuck some people really are. [This is the same comment I wrote to ana. The needle is what most people are familiar with at the tatoo parlour, medical clinic. The legend about the crucifixion is that Christ was stabbed in the side with a spear by a Roman soldier & that he was given a soaked sponge which may have had vinegar. Hemlock, a powerful sedative. Poison in a strong dose. Hemlock belongs to the hop family used in making beer. Originally Christmas was to celebrate the birth of the sungod Mazda.