Ecurb
10-22-2025, 07:40 AM
Here's an excellent critique of s Brooks poem (you might not be able to read it if you don't subscribe to the NY Times).
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/02/21/books/gwendolyn-brooks-my-dreams-my-works-sonnet.html?smid=nytcore-android-share
Here are two of my favorites:
We Real Cool
The Pool Players.
Seven at the Golden Shovel.
We real cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We
Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We
Jazz June. We
Die soon.
The pool players are rebels; they won’t submit to the man’s system. They live for the moment, careless of the future. Do they represent rebellious courage or foolish pride? The reader is left to determine that.
..............................
The Preacher: Ruminates behind the Sermon
I think it must be lonely to be God.
Nobody loves a master. No. Despite
The bright hosannas, bright dear-Lords, and bright
Determined reverence of Sunday eyes.
Picture Jehovah striding through the hall
Of His importance, creatures running out
From servant-corners to acclaim, to shout
Appreciation of His merit's glare.
But who walks with Him?—dares to take His arm,
To clap Him on the shoulder, tweak His ear,
Buy Him a Coca-Cola or a beer,
Pooh-pooh His politics, call Him a fool?
Perhaps—who knows?—He tires of looking down.
Those eyes are never lifted. Never straight.
Perhaps sometimes He tires of being great
In solitude. Without a hand to hold.
It seems to me there are two Christian Gods: Jesus (or the Trinity) and Yaweh. Yaweh, the God of the old testament, resembles the older Gods – the Gods of Greek and Babylonian mythology. He is a “jealous God” (He says so himself). He is often bitter (maybe tired of his solitude).
The Pauline God (He was invented by Paul – who ignored the historical Jesus and concentrated on Christ, thus warring with James the Just , Jesus’ brother and apostle) is unknowable. In the Gospel of Mark, only the demons he casts out see and recognize His divinity. The Trinity has baffled Jews, Moslems and some Christians for millenia.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/02/21/books/gwendolyn-brooks-my-dreams-my-works-sonnet.html?smid=nytcore-android-share
Here are two of my favorites:
We Real Cool
The Pool Players.
Seven at the Golden Shovel.
We real cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We
Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We
Jazz June. We
Die soon.
The pool players are rebels; they won’t submit to the man’s system. They live for the moment, careless of the future. Do they represent rebellious courage or foolish pride? The reader is left to determine that.
..............................
The Preacher: Ruminates behind the Sermon
I think it must be lonely to be God.
Nobody loves a master. No. Despite
The bright hosannas, bright dear-Lords, and bright
Determined reverence of Sunday eyes.
Picture Jehovah striding through the hall
Of His importance, creatures running out
From servant-corners to acclaim, to shout
Appreciation of His merit's glare.
But who walks with Him?—dares to take His arm,
To clap Him on the shoulder, tweak His ear,
Buy Him a Coca-Cola or a beer,
Pooh-pooh His politics, call Him a fool?
Perhaps—who knows?—He tires of looking down.
Those eyes are never lifted. Never straight.
Perhaps sometimes He tires of being great
In solitude. Without a hand to hold.
It seems to me there are two Christian Gods: Jesus (or the Trinity) and Yaweh. Yaweh, the God of the old testament, resembles the older Gods – the Gods of Greek and Babylonian mythology. He is a “jealous God” (He says so himself). He is often bitter (maybe tired of his solitude).
The Pauline God (He was invented by Paul – who ignored the historical Jesus and concentrated on Christ, thus warring with James the Just , Jesus’ brother and apostle) is unknowable. In the Gospel of Mark, only the demons he casts out see and recognize His divinity. The Trinity has baffled Jews, Moslems and some Christians for millenia.