Sunday, August 26, 2007

The Heart of the Matter (Don Henley)

SONG: The Heart of the Matter by Don Henley


POEM: Forgiveness by Terence Winch

Father Cahir kept us holy.
He smoked cigars in the confessional.
He had a distracted air about him,
as though he wasn't sure what
he was supposed to do next.

I don't remember what he taught.
History, probably. It was his
liberal attitude as a confessor
that made him a legend.

No matter what you confessed to,
he always barked out the same penance:
"Three Hail Marys and a Good Act
of Contrition. Next!" So we tested
this leniency, confessing
to rape, murder, burglary.

Cahir paid no attention.
He knew we were a bunch
of high school punks.
Puffing his cigar,
he'd issue his standard
penance and absolve all sins,
real or imagined,
with godlike aloofness,
his vast indifference to
or total acceptance of the darkness
within the human soul
exactly how I hope the deity
regards us. Take forgiveness
any way you can get it.

QUOTE: "Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves." ~ Sidney and Suzanne Simon

2 comments:

  1. suzanne vega
    Left of Center

    Left Of Centre
    If you want me
    You can find me
    Left of center
    Off of the strip

    In the outskirts
    In the fringes
    In the corner
    Out of the grip

    When they ask me
    "What are you looking at?"
    I always answer
    "Nothing much" (not much)
    I think they know that
    I'm looking at them
    I think they think
    I must be out of touch

    But I'm only
    In the outskirts
    And in the fringes
    On the edge
    And off the avenue
    And if you want me
    You can find me
    Left of center
    Wondering about you

    I think that somehow
    Somewhere inside of us
    We must be similar
    If not the same
    So I continue
    To be wanting you
    Left of center
    Against the grain

    If you want me
    You can find me
    Left of center
    Off of the strip
    In the outskirts
    In the fringes
    In the corner
    Out of the grip

    When they ask me
    "What are you looking at?"
    I always answer
    "Nothing much" (not much)
    I think they know that
    I'm looking at them
    I think they think
    I must be out of touch

    But I'm only
    In the outskirts
    And in the fringes
    On the edge
    And off the avenue
    And if you want me
    You can find me
    Left of center
    Wondering about you
    Wondering about you

    http://onesmallheart.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey, sharon -

    I too love Suzanne Vega's music and can't believe she hasn't yet shown up in one of my musings - I'll attempt to rectify that soon, most probably showcasing a song from her Nine Objects of Desire CD (a personal fave... :-)

    Always good to hear from a sister music maven - thanks for commenting!

    ReplyDelete