Poetry

A Virgin
by Earl Bergland, 2015

The sexist Bible men condone by God
That only a virgin have favored nod
Not a virgin; then Jesus mom can’t be
Unclean, condemned, stoned by the Holy See

Ride donkey all day, birth in stable mess
Not a handmaid near, what god provides less
What station women in religious life
Why sanction children born poverty strife

Oh wise men can’t future you see the need
For women, children equal path there lead
Trust world leadership to a virgin mind
The gods’ virgin concept is quite unkind

What gods care this philosophical rant
Our second class women not important

notes:
Line 4 A raped woman could be put in cage or pit and stoned
Line 12 Why burden women with virginity? Classifying women is helpful?
Line 12 Should the word be is or was?
Line 14 Is the word “Our” the best choice? Our puts reader into poem.
How a “good” idea by men writing the Bible went wrong for women.
What tweaks could make this poem better?

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Writing Poetry

Why Poetry? Poems are written by people who are too lazy to write a book. Most people who write poetry would do more good for the world by growing flowers or painting old barns. But we need to have patience because many young poets just need a few years of practicing as do musicians.
What are the three basic requirements for a quality poem?
A. The topic must be very important.
B. The poet must express thoughts with clarity.
C. The poem must create a dramatic impact (create an emotional feeling) in reader.
Is poetry a waste of time? That is a tough question. We can wonder the same thing about fishing or watching a football game. A poem provides the poet with a means of expressing ideas and feelings by a very personal means. Playing basket ball or cooking is also a means of personal expression.
What kind of an attitude should we have about reading poetry? Imagine sitting in a park on a spring day listening to your friend discuss ideas with you. Poets love waterfalls and country fried chicken.