Mary
Magdalene’s Apology
Though fathers of the church might not recall,
I was his favored ally over all--
Though I had awful moments I admit.
I was his favored ally over all--
Though I had awful moments I admit.
I saw the seven
horrid faces of
The demons driven
out. Pride lurched out first.
It smirked as it
looked back at me. It kissed
Its gilded mirror,
dropped its glass, then spread
Its filthy, gaudy
tail. It stretched its wings
And took its pompous
exit on the breeze.
Then Envy slithered
out, a serpent scaled
With eyes instead of
plates. Each lens scanned round
From different
angles not to miss a grudge.
Its filthy fangs
were always poised to strike
With venom ever
dripping. Thus, the snake
Ingested greater
poison than its prey.
Then Gluttony with well-worn teeth chewed its
Way out of me and tumbled on the ground
To roll away in its growing sphere of flesh.
Then Idleness
crawled out. Its wrinkled robes
Were stained and
filthy. It could barely hold
Its head upright
until it found a bed.
Then
heaving-breathing Avarice crawled out
So loaded down with
precious things it could
Not stand. Despite
the wealth it bore, its clothes
Were worn and fit it
poorly. Sweating, it
Crawled off
distraught--it never hauled enough.
Then lion-headed
Wrath leapt out of me.
Its awful roar was
followed by a spray
Of blood its
flailing limbs slung as it ran.
Then last of all
sprang hairy Lust. (Perhaps
I’m most remembered
for the last since it
By chance became the
final one to leave.)
O Lord, I tremble
still to think about
Those awful
spectacles as each came out.
And yet once freed
of seven demons, I
Could kneel to wash
my master’s feet. I could
Anoint his head with
oil and laud him well.
Then when his
fortunes changed, I could as well
Stand by him as they
nailed him up. And when
Some armored angels
swept him up from Hell
I could run out and
spread good news to all--
I was his favored ally after all.
I was his favored ally after all.
© Harold Anthony Lloyd 2016
P.S. In the Rhetoric to Lettie, I speculate on how Christ might have confided in his favorite disciple:
Jesus
Confides in Mary Magdalene
The kingdom is
within. Search for it there.
The sinner is the
one who in despair
Awaits the day his
chariot should come.
The kingdom is not coming. It is here.
There are no
portents, earthquakes, storms to fear
Before arrival. Simply look within.
Tell others that the kingdom is within,
That first it’s
small like seeds or leaven in
The dough but has
its powers to expand.
Be mindful of the present or you’ll miss
Brief miracles of
leavens such as this.
Live in the “am,” not
in the “will” or “was”
And revel in the kingdom found within.
There can be no
forgiveness for the sin
Of
self-rejection. Broken can’t be right.
Commit yourself at once, do not delay
To act on what
you’ve found. Though others say
That faith suffices,
fruit defines the tree.
Embrace your enemy and do no deed
You’d not have
others do to you. Once freed
From difference,
inner light uncovered shines.
Be humble and be open as a child.
Be curious and
never be beguiled
By rules or
“prophets” that snuff out the light.
For light will show whenever two are one,
Whole mountains can
be moved. Division gone,
Whole mountains
cannot claim their former place.
Know rules serve us. When bending must be done,
Bend rules to
light, not light to them. Don’t sin
By elevating
Sabbaths over light.
Though I must leave you soon, I still shall shine:
My light remains in
you as yours in mine,
And therefore
separation never comes.
Split any piece of wood and I am there.
Lift any rock and
you will find me there.
Set any table. You will find me there.
Have bread and wine in common to recall
The need to share
both food and drink with all—
And do this for
your fellow flesh and blood.
As I have done, reach out to heal the sick—
Though not just
those with fevers. Heal heartsick
And troubled
spirits, too. Do miracles.
Though I have set upon a painful course,
I choose it
freely--right could never force
A faultless one to
pay another’s fine.
No innocents are sacrificed though I
Am willing for the
sake of truth to die.
That’s what the
Cross should symbolize for you.
I’m neither Paul, nor Pope, nor Protestant.
I am before they
came, before they went.
I am before their
Sabbaths as are you.
© Harold Anthony Lloyd 2016
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