Thursday, July 10, 2014

WHO SPEAKS FOR CAIN

 
WHO SPEAKS FOR CAIN
 
 
THE TROUBLE BEGINS
WITH YAHWEH NOT TELLING ADAM’S FAMILY
HE WANTED BLOOD SACRIFICES ONLY
IF HE DID IT’S NOT IN THE TEXT
 
A TEXT WRITTEN MANY MILLENNIUMS
SINCE THE FIRST MAN
IT’S NOT A TRUE REPORT
BUT A RECOLLECTION OF FOLK TALES
 
REFLECTING THE TIMES
WHEN IT WAS WRITTEN
 
A TIME WHEN CRUDE NOMADS
WERE TAKING OVER THE CULTURED CANAANITES
 
WITHOUT SOME MEANING
THE STORY DOESN’T HOLD TOGETHER
AN ENGLISH TEACHER
WOULD TURN IT BACK
AS INCOMPLETE
 
SCHOLARS HAVE TRIED TO GIVE IT MEANING
THAT IT WAS FRICTION
BETWEEN HERDERS AND FARMERS
BUT IT’S CONJECTURE
IT’S NOT IN THE BOOK
 
BIBLICAL FAIRY TALES
HAVE BEEN CREATED
LIKE SATAN SPAWNED CAIN THROUGH EVE
THAT CAIN AND ABEL WERE BORN AS TWINS
THAT EACH MARRIED THE OTHER’S TWIN
 
BUT IT’S CONJECTURE
IT’S NOT IN THE BOOK

 
WHICH ISN’T TO SAY
THAT CONJECTURE
AND FAIRY TALES
HAVEN’T BECOME GOSPEL
AND PREACHED AS SUCH
 
BUT WE ARE LEFT WITH A GOD
WHO APPEARS CAPRICIOUS
FICKLE
PERSNICKETY
 
BUT IN THE MIDST OF THIS CONFUSION
THERE IS A JEWEL
WHEN GOD ASKS CAIN
WHERE’S ABEL
 
HE COMPLAINS
AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER
 
THE ANSWER
THOUGH NEVER SPOKEN
THUNDERS EVEN TODAY
 
YES
 
ALL OUR RELIGIOUS THINKING
STEM FROM THAT THOUGHT
 
THE QUESTION LINGERS
WHEN WE SEE THE INEQUALITY OF WEALTH
WHEN UNJUST WARS ARE FOUGHT
WHEN FAMINE EATS THE HUNGRY
WHILE OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE GO TO THE GYM
 
THE QUESTION THUNDERS
AM I MY BROTHERS KEEPER
THE ANSWER THUNDERS
EVEN IF WE WON’T LISTEN
 
YES
 
 
FRANK A VOLLMER


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