! I Have A Fear - I May Be Wrong. Poem by Michael Shepherd
! I Have A Fear - I May Be Wrong.
I have a fear - I may be wrong:
that all too many, put off all thoughts of 'God'
by those who claim to speak for Him,
may cease to look for, name, all wondrous things:
the good, and beautiful, and truthful; which give joy;
which you and I love as the best of life...
and name them, praise them, to our children's ears
as all the wonder that they are...
I have a fear - I may be wrong:
that even seeing this world as sweetshop of delights
we never look to see
some unity.
I have a fear - I may be wrong:
that we may miss the mind's pure joy
of stepping back to see
beyond what shows itself,
a greater and more glorious view...
I have a fear - I may be wrong:
that though we have a hazy view
of 'Creation' and 'Creator',
we do not seek to play Creation's part -
as species disappear; as world pollutes...
I have a fear -I may be wrong:
we know the words; but miss the song.
Your final couplet says it all. Very nice and full of human doubts as well as irony (once again.) It is indeed food for thought. Raynette
Ghada, I once wrote a shortened version of that Sura. I'll post it, in thanks!
Michael, We all have these fears and sometimes Creation dispels them and sometimes not. When she can't chase them away I recite the following verse from the Quran. It's called Al Rahman (the Compassionate) : God's Revelation and His favors: which of them will ye deny? All will pass away but God will endure. The refrain 'which of the Favours of the Lord will ye deny' is repeated 31 times in its 78 verses. Its very poetic and mystic. I'll send it to your mail Inbox.
a very well-founded fear it is Michael. it is the simplicity of William Paley's 'Watch-maker' teleological argument for the existence of God that I've always admired. it has been mocked by other theologians (what view isn't?) ...but there is an essential truth to it, in the sense that everything emanates from something greater than itself. furthermore, the more scientific and technological advances there seem to be in the world...the less most of us seem to appreciate that there is beauty in the simple things...we lose sight of the 'song'...the luxury of life itself. Humankind often knows 'the price of everything, and the value of nothing'.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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5/10/2024 2:40:06 PM # 1.0.0.1119
Michael Shepherd you are right. I think the biggest obstacle to understanding 'God' is our outdated image of Him/Her - I think we are moving towards a 21st century concept of this lifeforce that people can understand, but which puts the historic religions of the world in context. But as you so modestly state - I may be wrong too. Provocative writing, thanks. Egal Bohen...