[stylist] Amazing poem

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

I agree with what you're saying; I just like to get people thinking
beyond their comfort zones, knowledge, experience, and to just open
their minds. It's not about pushing ideas or beliefs, or argueing them,
but trying to find common ground and appreciate beauty wherever we find
it.

I grew up in a very Christian home as far as my mom has been concerned,
but we're always encouraged to explore ideas and concepts, to
deconstruct them and observe and experience each meaning, each depth.
True belief happens when we do this and can take faith in completely.
Faith is both an intellectual and emotional process.

So I mean no ill will, nor do I attempt to instigate; I simply like to
have people, myself included, really ponder and reflect on ideas and
beliefs especially when expressed artistically.

I no longer identify with my Christian upbringing, though I certainly
agree with some of its sentiments. And yes, I once had a deep, profound
belief in Christianity. Perhaps I will one day return to these beliefs,
but I have found faith, love joy and life in other ways, in the world
around me.

This discussion isn't meant to be a thread on religious dogmas and
defending individual beliefs. I just think we have much more common
ground than most ever recognize in the world. It's finding beauty and
pleasure outside the confines of our experience.

Again, I think you look at this too literally. Poetry is kind of like a
picture; it's not meant to be analyzed word by word just like a picture
can't be analyzed section by section; both must be taken in as a whole.
Poetry uses words to create one large image.

What is not holy about Brown's list? The point is that a life lived,
experienced, becomes holy because we weren't created to not enjoy it.
God meant for us to find joy in all aspects of life. To see beauty in
nature; to hold friends dear; to seek love and work to make it
unconditional; to chalk each moment, each experience, up to knowledge
and joy and lessons learned. When you focus only on each individual
word, you lose focus of the over-all point. He's not literally saying
those individual things are holy in and of themselves, but what they
represent can be holy. To be holy is to be pure, to be ready to enter
the presence of God. If we live life without love, without joy, always
downtrodden and sour, how does that make us ready for any holy presence?

Again, I know there are specific doctrines that can be interjected here,
but we're not focusing on a specific religious view, and yes, I think
personal beliefs can be left out of the discussion if viewing this poem
as a picture of love and time well-spent. God wants us to interact and
experience; otherwise he wouldn't have bothered creating us. To love one
another is to love God; it's in the Bible, look it up.

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog at:
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
 
"History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan

Message: 7
Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2011 20:25:52 -0600
From: "Barbara Hammel" <poetlori8 at msn.com>
To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [stylist] Amazing poem
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But there is the problem of not all our actions being considered holy.
And 
a few of the things he mentions are definitely on that list. Let's just
beg to differ on that part of the poem and we'll both agree that 
for the most part, it's a beautiful poem.  (Or is this how critiquing 
someone's work works.)
I'm not saying his work is bad, I'm just saying that some of it bothered
me. 
That's all right, though, because everyone's writings are not to please
only 
me.  I may have a poem in my collection of other people's work that I
may 
absolutely love but you'd agree that most of it is good but one line or 
stanza just bugs you.
Barbara