THE DIVINE GIFT
He treads over blazing stones,
Searching for repent of his sins,
By embracing burning, excruciating pain.
But only senses the cool, endearing wind
Blowing, gently drying his stressful sweat.
His blessed medallion of hope,
Weighing heavily around his neck,
Breaks open and falls through the hot cracks of abyss.
He cries at the unexpected dispossession,
Staggering to the end of the luminous path.
He emerges from the smoke physically unscaved,
But silently mourns his meaningless loss.
The gatherers bow before him
In praise on his spectacular feat
And mount an iron image of him on a pedestal,
As a sign of divinity and worship.
He draws away from the figure in despair.
For he alone sees its hollowness,
Which represents his very soul.
Alas, a young, cheerful child
Comes from the worshipping group
To greet him with innocence and ecstasy.
The child offers him the apple in his petty hand.
The man smiles as he takes the offered fruit,
And walks away in preparation of his resurrection.
Copyright 1998 Giovanna Lagana
Featured in my chapbook, titlted "Tribulations of Existence".
Published by the Plowman Publishing Company.
THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU
The hand is just a personification of Him.
He is your supreme padrone.
You are a meager dog who is his pet.
He nurtures and shelters you,
Until that cursed day when weariness befalls him.
He spurns you out into the desolate street,
Into an eternal jungle of darkness and despair.
Good and evil are indiscernible.
You are trapped in a God forsaken land,
Until your master comes to your rescue.
Timorousness fills your body
And soul with incapacitation.
Sleep overtakes you after the shock subsides.
Nightmares envelop and poison your mind.
People are kicking you,
Because you are a stray.
Dogs are gnawing at you,
Because you are an outsider.
You soon awaken to see
Your repining master beside you.
You are now safe, but for how long?
Your master might again punish you,
What do you do then?
There is nothing you can do to stop it.
So live with this fear
And obey The Hand That Feeds You.
Copyright 1998 Giovanna Lagana
Featured in my chapbook, titlted "Tribulations of Existence".
Published by the Plowman Publishing Company.