Unholy Spirit

A dark wooden pulpit
enshrines its inner sanctuary
Where stand glass edifices
in choral formation
Others; as effigies of crucifixion
against hallowed walls

The monetary organs quiet
before the sermons begin
Stools, pew like, awaiting
the next intoxicating preacher
Ghosts of past congregations
exuding odours from every pore

The arrival of religious fanatics
take their place before the altar
Praying for redemption
of indiscretions past
Melodic chants of absolution
sacrificial lambs to an age old God

Frenzied tongues transcending parishioners
to another level of consciousness
Luring them into hypnotic trances
False promises of enlightenment
at the bottom of a bottle
Dedicated worshippers to the messiah Alcohol

James Tobias

Your comments will be appreciated. Please take a few moments to submit them here

Please use the back-button on your browser to return to the submissions page, or click Home

Name	Comment	Date
Mandy	James, I enjoyed the way in which the play on words in your title played out in the poem. I think you could pay some attention to the rhythm of your poem. In most of your verses the first two lines are very rhythmic but you lose it after that. Well done! Points 3 - Very promising piece of writing	2007-12-22
Louis Harris	Church, spirits, alcohol.  The metaphor is grand. The fun about poetry is that every time one reads a piece, one gets something different out of it. I did not see drunk priests after the second read, I saw priests infused with the excitement of God and that in itself, in many men/women ministers is enough to excite the world as tho in a drunken state... Oh, and then I saw an AA meeting with drunk speakers and I thought - okay, this is what poetry should be, for me, several stories in verse.  Good one, Mr. Tobias. Respect Points 3 - Very promising piece of writing	2007-12-25
Kekeletso Molebatsi	What caught me was the title, and my interest was maintained by the build up to the end where the unholy spirit is revealed. A writer’s job is also to maintain the reader’s attention and you've got mine. Hats off to you. Points 4 - Pretty close to perfect. I was captivated	2008-02-12