Man is a slave

Man is a slave

Born without his consent
Schooled to accept his descent
And traits passed on by forebears
What blames and pains he forbears
She looks at him
With eyes dim
Sees the lust he does crave
For man is her slave

He has urges unschooled
Learning not as much as he’s fooled
His yearnings puerile as seen
Is a pawn for his teacher mean
She’s skilful with the snare
Yet ole conscience will not him spare
Against his will he turns out depraved
Man is enslaved

We all shake heads at him
He pervert we prim
Yet in him we watch our shame
Flesh and blood and sweat the same
Desires like fire glimmers
But spirit like light shimmers
If flesh outshines spirit’s wave
Man might die a slave

Song of a fallen king

Song of a fallen king

He came from our world
Having lived and hoped and sang with us
He was taken from our world
A world void and without form

He left this world of wants and complaints
A world of hate and neighborliness
Of frustration and of truth
The world he has known from birth

He was received in the other world
He was deceived in the odder world
A world of plenty and fancy
A world of beauty and flattery

He learnt new songs
Songs of laughter and self deceit
Our own songs of pain and hope
Were fading in his hearing

He was being schooled in lies
The lies of denial
Denial of our existence
Existence of needs
Needs for justice
Justice of life
Life of vanity
His fame knew no bounds
His greatness a burden on our necks

Some came to worship
Some from amongst us
Selling our humanity for gold
Building his palace with celestial bricks

They said he spoke from up above

Suddenly the voice of the Most High thundered
Bolting him from the heavens
Down to earth he falls amongst us a man!
He falls amongst us a man!


He falls down singing
Songs of the victimized
Singing to whoever would listen
Singing like a morning bird
Chased from its nest
With pelting stones
From children’s camp

He falls to our world
And becomes like us again
Alas none of us is God
We are all but mere mortals

Saint Eric Winter