we were 10 years old
when I told him his uncle the bishop
was a fag
who praised a fraudulent god.
with his tourette stutter
he yelled obscenities in my direction
before tackling me
and bashing my head into the sewer drain
just a block away
from the church we grew up in.
I walked by yesterday
and the bloodstains were still there.
Author notes
true story. the first war I experienced over religion.
In a list
A contest entry
- Hyde Parks Speaking Corner by Emmyb.
750 points, ended November 23, 18 entries
• next poem in this contest, • Add to finalists list, or remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 36 of 36
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The uncle is a fraud who knows nothing about God!...anyway, Good writing.
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I'm a Christian, but I find that I can't stand most Christians.
They can quote the entire goddamn book of Leviticus, but can't remember Matt. 19:19. Pharisees.
Well written, dear poet.
Best of luck in this contest.
Zach Estel. -
Nods and understands.
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wow.loved this write.
side conversation: i went to Boston just yesterday and was walking around and i ran across a boy dressed up as jesus for halloween. beard, hair, wardrobe and everything...he was agruing with a priests wife outside a church, as she yelled it was inapporiate and disrespectuful. his response was... ' shutup, jesus says shutup '
made me think of your poetry for a second, you more. quite scary.
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haha that is a good story. I like that jesus.
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Ewwwwww... ooooouuuuccchhhh!
Yeah. I had similar experiences. All though - nobody bashed my head into a drain. It was more the point and shout "witch! witch! witch!" or "heretic!", more the shove down the stairs kind of thing (by kids anyway). By the adults - let's see - I had to sit in the invisible chair and hold books on my arms. Fun stuff.
But yeah, been there sort of.
We have so much in common, Matt. It's quite peculiar.
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you must have durable blood! And I admire any ten year old who knows the word, fraudulent
Religion will always be something to fight over or about, so I will stay happily away from the subject and give you some clappie dudes. 
L
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the bloodstains over religion last generations
very durable.
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well, you're right there...you always have to have the last word!
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an inherited flaw of mine.
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you should have been an attorney
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I object.
should have been? hey, i still could lol -
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last word
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you would.
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that's a cool story. you could start a list called altar boy to put all these dissident little gems in.
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I second that notion. That's an awesome idea.
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not a bad idea lol this would have been around the same time my years as an altar boy started.
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Maybe "Confessions of an Alter Boy" - that's a saucy title
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wow; I love the way you tell your story here, just up front and honest. creatively worded and well thought out : )
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And...that is why I always said it isn't religion we need, it is faith. Religion has too many rules, and makes people do crazy things. Well written, Matt, and best wishes in the contest.
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Nice one, champ.
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Wow...reality, plucked straight from the mind, unadulterated, loved it. Thanks Matt.
All the best, mj.
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thanks, bro
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=) oh i love those moments.
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lol I wish I had been there to see that one, had many of my own wars over ordered religion and no one can give definitive answers so now mine is that i have faith and leave it at that C
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I have to ask, did you ever become friends again?
Though, I mighta bashed your head too if you called my dad a fag, lol., it's the blood thicker than water thingy, even if it was true. winks.
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lol no.
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I see you had a way with your words even when you were only 10 years old.
Best of luck in the contest.
Ann
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yeah. I had a mouth
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Religion... don't even get me started. I had a maths teacher in high school who spent 6 years requesting to have me in his class... all because I USED TO BE friends with his daughter, until my family had some trouble and she told me to pray to God for help. What the fuck sort of answer is that?! So I stopped spending time with her... but he spent my entire high school career trying to convert me. The guy was practically Ned Flanders... moustache and all. *shudder*
Awesome write. Absolutely awesome.
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matt e. smith = speaker for the silent masses.
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The ending especially is soooo good – I like the way it is heavy with implication; because there will always be bloodshed over religion, that has not changed and I doubt it will for a very long time, if ever. Clever way to weave the element of time and obdurateness into the poem I like that there is always something beneath the surface of your writing.
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yup**
love it.
jin
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Sort of like politics, it's a crazy topic to discuss. Many battles have been and will be fought about the same subject as you've written about , unfortunately. You write the things that most of us are scared to. Nice job.
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