BRAVE NEW WORLD

circa. 1970

5 poems

#2

…

CHRISTIAN

the Sadducee

…   …   …

…

Fuzzed red circles of light

The angst of purple doubt and anger

The turmoil that fits within sins grasp

Attends to those born of conscience driven

But you knew none of these did you?

christian?

…

Never once you broke the mould

Or felt the urgent need your soul to bare

You never ventured there, so swathed, adorned

By duty, obedience, and safeties soft seclusion

So wrapped up in the glare, of your own selves 

importance

…

Feelings, pressed hard

and tightly against a glowering moon

It hangs inside that dawn that never sets

You never knew such thoughts of rage

(& disappointment)

Never stepped outside (or inside) the victims cage.

or wandered alone or scared

And if you did

That pale flesh, bloodshot morning

Taste the fruit of lust beneath your breath?

The more you bed your own wanton hypocrisy

Within your calm, perfect form and marbled history

~ christian?

…

compiled&writtenbyedenbraytoday

Ref. 1970/28052020

…

reference and addendums in prose – 2020 :

…

“and they were first called Christians at Antioch”

‘From that time, the disciples were first called Christians by the Antiochenes.’

– Acts of The Apostles 11:26 (Aramaic Bible in plain English)

“And when his disciples came to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread with them. And he said to them, “Take heed; beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” 

Matthew 16:5-6 (Aramaic Bible in plain English

…

addendum 1 

christian

Antioch

Society’s wicked melting pot, a melting pot seething?

A cauldron, volatile so ugly, a latent volcano of emotion?

Emptying from within, explosives lit, burning brightly?

christians?

Christ’s disciples

A name ‘they’ gave like any other

…

addendum 2

the ‘christian’

We all hate ‘the christian’, we all slate his integrity

His shapeless, righteous deeds, vacuum light and need

We all slate ‘the christian’, we all laugh the creed

The holy grail, the pilgrim trail, we hyenas, we natural dreamers

We laughing, cackling, hateful schemers

…

addendum 3 

No more the ‘believer’ will need to hide

In beds of white and linen

No more the proof he proffers

Of noble deeds to silence scoffers

He is creation, his ideas New

His beginning amidst the popular view

He has struggled as the limpid pupae

of some terrestrial force

and now born of an umber earth

Of rich, dark colours and subtle hue

not protected, nor frozen

in timeless space

But breathing fresh, the air of life

He may lay indeed exhausted

On his bed of ease and rest contented

Peace ~ pink heaven

…

writtenbyedenbray8today

Ref. 25/26052020

…

~ 50 year anniversary ~

#Authors Note ~ This poem is modelled on a piece I wrote around 1970. The christian was originally one of five diverse poems that were accepted for a published Anthology entitled something like – ‘This Britain’ which went on sale to the general public at that time. It was an Anthology of selected and collected poetry that was intended to reflect the inner soul of the society of that day. It was multi-cultural and reflected work from the broadest possible section of 1970’s Britain – all ages, sexes, ethnicity, political or religious standpoints but the poetry although diverse included works of a recognised literary standard and was intended to become an important, historic and cultural recorded document. I would love to obtain a copy.

christian was the 2nd piece of the five Poems I wrote that together challenged the society of the time; social values, politics, law & order, police brutality and law enforcement, drug use and abuse, life experience including faith, religion and prejudice among other issues. 

The Poems themselves were regrettably mislaid around 1973/74 and I have since made repeated attempts to rewrite them – if not word for word – then with the aim of capturing the same forthright views, the optimism, verve, colour and intensity that I remember they were so brim full of. I was 19/20 years old!

This latest attempt to capture the true vitriol of the original piece I have compiled from lines I remember from the original, extra notes, plus lines from previous attempts over the 50 years since I wrote the original. I have left this final attempt in the rawest state that I possibly could as that is how I remember the original.

I have included 3 addendums which again are compiled from previous attempts to resurrect the poem. I hope they balance the piece poetically within the construct of the time that I originally wrote christian ; the time when the term ‘christian’ was first coined (i.e. – its original historical meaning) ; and finally today’s society including my own current thinking, personal growth and appreciation of the subject. I have used this method to avoid disturbing the original punch of the piece. I suggest that the reader attempt to scratch away at the surface of the poem to understand the real focus of the piece. A clue in your scratching :- this is certainly not an anti-Christian or irreligious piece nor was it ever intended to be. This piece has been by far the most difficult of the five to work on and recreate.

These re-written pieces I hope will apply themselves to society today making them still pertinent, relevant and I hope as profound as I believe the original collection were that I wrote now 50 years ago

I have titled these Poems as my personal “Brave New World Collection” and hope to publish the remaining three re-writes on this Blog-site very shortly, under that same heading. They should hopefully remind us of a time when society stood at a crossroads much as we do today. It was I believe at the dawn of a time of optimism, hope and challenge. I offer them to you dear reader with my best, sincerest and most heartfelt wishes! – 

                          edenbraytoday

Ref. 28052020

…

For reference:

RED PEACE ~ PINK HEAVEN –

1st re-write attempt – written July 15th 1990 and posted ~ February 24th 2012 – Re-edited & posted ~ December 29th 2019 as part of an Edenbray retrospective

https://edenbray8.com/2019/12/29/edenbray-retrospective-30/…   …   …

…   …   …

Jessica Renea : Love the imagery and the expressions of frustration. All in a backdrop of natures tempestuous temper; a mix of anger and glory.

..