In my last two posts, I shared poems from my first and second books, so I thought I’d keep going and share a poem from my third book, Shadow and Memory.
Today’s poem is called “The Heretic,” and I’ve been thinking about it because I’m reading Early Christian Doctrines by JND Kelly. If you’re interested in theology and church history, Kelly’s book is outstanding; it covers the first 5 or 6 centuries of Christianity with a focus on how doctrines were formulated and clarified (often in response to heresies). This week, I read the section about Nestorius, a 4th century Bishop after whom the heresy Nestorianism is named.
It was while reading about Nestorius in A History of Heresy (by David Christie-Murray) that “The Heretic” was born. Though inspired by Nestorius, it is not meant to be a historical or biographical poem. Instead, it’s a poetic exploration of our relationship with deception.
The Heretic
The lie he fathered
died in the desert
where he was exiled,
though he wouldn’t accept it.
Anyone who called her “corpse”
or tried to take her
met his blind, spitting fury
and grief.
Then he was alone.
He lay holding her,
long past the time
she added any warmth
to his bed,
and stroked her face
falling deeper
into the dark holes
that were her eyes.
A Wandering Minstrel 