Poem written 2-28-26.
This wretched thing, This broken toy, Pulls herself together again, For another day Duty and care, War with suffering, For the dominant note, In her melody Pain and aching fear, Of anything and everything, All of this, And all of you This wretched thing, Drinks her own blood, And prays that it will be enough, To ease her hunger pangs Can you see her truly, Any of you, Or is this just another show, In a world become spectacle?
Art: John Bingley Garland, “Single-page collage featuring Mary Magdalene beneath a violin-playing cherub”, (1850–60)