Would You Have Me Smile? Poem by Gabrielle Ciarann Roniyah Baer

Would You Have Me Smile?



Would you have Me smile?

(inspired by a report seeking to
'debunk the 'black myth' of the Inquisition'.)

“If you take one life, you destroy all the world. If you save one life, you save the world entire.” paraphrase from Hillel, first century C.E.

Would you have Me smile,
to hear fewer of My daughters and sons were set aflame alive
here than there, or there than here,
for their belief in Me?

Would you have Me nod,
on being told not so many of My children suffered
then than now, or now than then
for keeping faith with Me?

Would you have Me stop My tears,
with tales of how fewer of My people died tormented
in the counter-renaissance,
than in the modern holocaust
for staying true to Me?

Would you ask of Me 'thanks and praise'
for 'proofs' fewer of My lowly ones,
My precious ones, My beloved ones
came to the glad release of Death
in 'acts of faith' than in acts of war,
for living close to Me?

Then I say to you:
Blind, foolish and cruel you are!

_When_ will you know
_All_ who die and live are _My children_
_All_ in all times who suffer and keep faith
_All_ in all times who die and live believing
_All_ who they believe in, _I am_ ever was and ever shall be,
By _whatever_ names they call on Me;

Lady or Lord,
Isis or Brighit,
Krishna or Allah,
Adonai or Elohim,
Gaea or Mary
for _all their griefs_ I mourn still,
for _all their lives_ I rejoice always!


written 6/9/95

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