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In the Name of Whose God
“If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere
insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to
separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line
dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being
and who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”
—Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Roots of war sown from a biblical past;
seize possession with power to cast
battles for borders, lines drawn in sand;
bombs sear the sky and scorch arid land.
In the name of whose God, are prayers being said;
innocent hostages amongst the dead.
The mournful dove, on stilled broken wings;
no olive branch in a peace offering.
In the name of whose God, does justice lie,
in solidarity they comply,
in creeds resolute, without concession;
ethos fuels hostile aggression.
Allegiant perceptions in blind belief;
locked in the abyss of abject grief.
In the Name of whose God will there be peace?
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Winter Solstice
Silos stand like sentinels, in the drifting snow;
Rusty barn door hinges, yawning down below.
Cloistered cows muse, in solemn hymns of rite;
Earth curls under flannels, robed in frosty white.
Bleating lambs lie down, innocent and meek;
Birds seek arms of shelter, in a lofty peak.
Pastures stilled, as sharper shadows begin to fall;
Evening richly draped us in a woven shawl.
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Paulette Calasibetta is a retired interior designer. Her poetry has appeared on line and in print in numerous journals and anthologies.
“Winter Solstice” is a calm, beautiful depiction.
Happy to know you enjoyed the imagery.
The imagrry in Winter Solstice really captures the cold and dark of winter. I loved the ‘cloistered cows’.
‘In the Name of Whose God’ starts with a quote we should all dwell on. I was particularly taken by the mention of hostages. In many armed conflicts it’s the civilians who are held hostage one way or another by the combatants. And we always seem to bring God into the business of killing.
I like the way your two poems balanced out the submission, Paulette, the abnormalcy of people battling people versus the normalcy of Nature testing Nature.
Thanks for the reads
Thank you for stopping by to comment.
As an emerging poet your critique is very valuable to me. I strive to write with purpose and clarity delivering to my reader inspiration.
Again thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
Much, much theology in your 1st poem, Whose God. Good crafted poem: I add none of the OT wars and carnage etc are found in the New Testament as the Prince of Peace strives to rule warring males’ hearts. “Communism” is a godless god, the State. Blessings to you.
Three quotes from the Prince of Peace:
Matthew 10:34 —
Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Matthew 12:30 —
Who is not with me is against me, and who does not gather with me, scatters.
Luke 12:51 —
Do you think that I came to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but division.
The entire force of Paulette’s poem is to point out that there are competing religious justifications for many wars, and frequently we are hard put to determine whose God is behind which side. In 1914, every single belligerent nation in Europe was praying to the same God for victory.
Thank you for stopping by to read and comment on my poem.
As an emerging poet I am very pleased that you came away with its message.
I appreciate your insightful comments and yes
“Communism” is surely a godless god.
The endless warring for power that mortals seek….Yes, Brian “men plan and God laughs”.
Glad you enjoyed “Solstice” too.
I appreciate your insightful comments and yes
“Communism” is surely a godless god.
Paulette,
An artist should be at an easel painting your beautiful “Winter Solstice”!
Glad you enjoyed the imagery that I painted.
Paulette, you have a gift for writing memorable couplets that inspire and intrigue. You asked a great question in the first poem that was a starkly pointed arrow at humanity. “Winter Solstice” brought back memories of my time on the farm as a youngster in South Dakota. I could feel the shiver both from remembering how cold it was and how elegantly you described the situation.
Many thanks for your generous comment on my writing.
As an emerging ‘classical’ poet your compliment is quite a boost.
I live in a rural area of N.J. with sprawling farms; I imagine your experience in South Dakota mirrors mine….so peaceful!
You have captured well the ancient roots of war. Your theme begs the question: is God ours or are we God’s? His Justice may look rather different from what mortals assume. Or as the old saying goes, men plan and God laughs.
The “Solstice” language is gorgeous.
That is a wonderful epigraph from Solzhenitsyn. I have copied it down. The poem does the quotation justice, reminding us that good and evil are always relative when speaking of wars, when both sides claim God — or the gods, or destiny — is with them.
“Winter Solstice” paints a gorgeous picture, and though it describes an empty farm in winter conveys an unexpectedly warming, comforting feeling.
Yes, this epigraph from Solzhenitsyn has been something I have thought about for a long time; I came across it as a teenager. Now, as an adult living in this world filled with
the push and pull of power, its message brought me to
write this poem.
As an emerging classical poet I am elated you enjoyed both pieces.
Both works are extremely well done Ms. Calasibetta –
The accompanying photo for “In the Name of Whose God” says it all.
My heart cries out.
I am glad my poem touched you in the place of my intention.
From “whose god” to evening’s “woven shawl” these poems carry profound truth in words of stunning beauty.
Thank you for your kind and generous comments.
Evening in “Winter Solstice” seems to come upon a Nature that could be characterized as “watchful” in varied ways.
There are several dissimilar questions about “Whose God.” Perhaps, Paulette, you are asking diverse persons whose God looks very much like themselves.
If horses had gods, they would be equine.
–Xenophanes