Old Clay Jars

[Atehequa]

What are they pouring into these old jars ?
Ancient, fire kilned, tempered with sand
Stored on the floor all these long years
Well used, well kept, but rarely seen
Never to fall and crash into many shards

Red southern clay, symbolic impressions
Fraught with power, these ancient relics
Inspired by dreams, molded by hands
Hidden away, rarely spoke of, they survive
As they were and not how they are thought of

Actors, audience and clown intermissions
Sacerdotal story morals, carefully spoonfed
Hanging spirituality by the door like flypaper
In their zeal they form ranks of soldiery
While fighting in god’s name, is war hell ?

Spiritual challenges flung, naught to prove
Creating a limbo and lassoing lost souls
Singing like birds at gentle inquisitions
Comforted, misled, and skillfully converted
New approach, but the vestments appear the same

A few soldiers lighting thousands of campfires
And those looking down from the ridge laughing
They have seen this old ploy applied before
Having heard these old stories too many times
How many candle lit windows and empty rooms ?

[justwalt]

I think what's in there... (them old jars), is a bit too serious to...
preserve, but I like it that way from time to time.

Like the piece... and this guy too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJUhlRoB ... ata_player

[dadio]

The Dead Sea scrolls were found in clay jars I think, but that's a different story. This poem brings another unfolding tale which is well done and I enjoyed.

[still.trucking]

They have seen this old ploy applied before

Nothing to do with your excellent poem, just a tangential comment on Ploys. This is one of my favorite old ploys.


So the men of Shechem were deceived, and were circumcised; and "on the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and came upon the city unawares, and killed all the males. They slew Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went away." And the sons of Jacob plundered whatever was in the city and in the field, "all their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinah