full weight of the law

[joel]

Be perfect— as the truest love is perfect—
as if something holy or divine—
and reimagine love as if it were
reimaged in the perfect discipline
of such a kind of pure humanity
as myth or fable ever might have rhymed;
and when you’re perfect, shun the vanity
that’s thought you’re better than yourself— that’s climbed
from paradise upon your brothers’ blood
and looked upon your fathers’ nakedness,
forsook your mothers nameless, poor and rude
& left your sisters’ rape without redress.
Be perfect as the truest love; and trust
– despite the fact you truly can’t – you must.

[RonPrice]

I don't get to this site as often as I should or could, joel. You have obviously turned out a good deal of poetry. I am 67 and came to this art form late in life, after the age of 50. On reading this work of yours I thought to myself: "this fellow is really getting into some ideas here." Some poets come to their ripeness early in life and some later. I came later in life. I wondered to myself as I read this poem: "is joel ripe?" Or is there much fruitage to come? I wish you well, joel.-Ron in Tasmania

[jim turner]

Don't know if you're idealist or realist or just a darned good poet. Here, of course, you demand the impossible, but your demand is in poetry. jim

[dadio]

You need to be read more widely by more people. Craftmanship here is strong and moves with a firm and hand steady eye.

Be perfect as the truest love; and trust
– despite the fact you truly can’t – you must.
( wonderfully put.)

[dadio]

You need to be read more widely by more people. Craftmanship here is strong and moves with a firm and hand steady eye.

Be perfect as the truest love; and trust
– despite the fact you truly can’t – you must.
( wonderfully put.)