jude, the perspective you postulate here resonates with cognitive dissonance and a degree of melancholy -- seeking yet concerned for what might be revealed -- you stimulated my interest again, as you are prone to do my dear friend -- I bid you joy, love and peace -- Jon Michael

A very Bronxial take on a Messianic message, cleverly including the Shroud of Turin. Great sustained metaphor which works really well in context, Muhammad! :)) It's those flutterin little red silky shorts that always stung me.. xx

sounds good to me :)

In other words, we are pretty much lost, searching for a meaning.

Punch straight to the centre line and never let your rear guard down, yet the secret is in the minute footwork. :)

Such depth you write about our illusions and disillusions and total lack of awareness.

The working of your mind is deep, showcasing powerful words to encourage your readers to delve deep into their minds to absorb all that you ponder and write of. Dynamic read, Jude.

Joy L. Hale

Hey Jude, Another deeply moving poem..I especially can relate to this poem on a few levels of thought. My father was a prize fighter in the 60's and I grew up in a very abusive family. He was very brutal to my mother, big time anger issues and also I believe some child abuse in his past.
On another level of thought, I feel some kind of deeply routed issue that must be resolved, from reading your recent posts they seem like a woven puzzle to be decifered and thought about.
yet on another level of thought, One can get a feeling of a disturbance in the forces that be.
It's late and I just wanted you to know that I always love reading your poetry before bedtime.

Much peace, light, and love,
Amber

We are who and what we are in our time and place, soon to be replaced by invading species we hardly even know.

Bludgeoned and bloody we are, Jude,
with and by delusions.
Do we make too much of shrouds
and halos askew?

John

The aura of our self imposed moral fortitudes is often either over estimated or underestimated depending on our own egos. If we do not have a sense of self worth we can often feel we have just done ten rounds with Ali for sure. Great write here Jude.
fee

alas, we do take a beating, don't we...
well done, jude & mind your punches!
carolyn

This one has biblical proportions! Like me I gather you believe that there is nothing otherworldly about our prophets and gods. They are merely a reflection of our own thoughts.

Ron

very interesting write-intriguing

each day is a challenge indeed, feeling at times surrounded, (and often inundated) by forces visible and invisible, feeling, at times too, as if they have felonious intention towards us, as we purpose to maintain a oneness with the path we were given, with a clear-headed desire to keep writing and trying to make sense of it all - keep your mind and eyes open brother ... you do it so well. Great insight! peace and continued wisdom ... richard

Even though we may know the pathway we have chosen to take and that it is the right one for us, we allow doubt to creep in and cause us question the focus we have always maintained. Sometimes it seems that though we use all of our heart and soul to run a good race our fears never allow us to cross the finish line, leaving us in a fog of wondering why and how it all came down to this. I may be pulling from this something other than what you intended when you placed the words upon this page, but poetry is really quite speculative and yours often seem more speculative than most. For me, this vision is what I have taken from your offering. I really enjoyed reading this one, Jude.
Take care,
Sherry

I suppose in some ways many feel they follow in JC's footsteps.

Sometimes a noose rather than a holy ring, deep your thoughts and well expressed, "deciphering scrolls written by our own hands", is a great example, of your skills of poetic expressions. I much enjoy your fearless path of questioning. Bless you! Jasmin Horst

Quite captivating and thought provoking, Jude.

is it fate or is it destiny that sweeps the deific into view in so urbane and cavalier a manner... there is a dismissive, almost derisive offhand flip of the wrist touch that permeates this one, Jude... but of course, you knew that... irony being your penchant, your forte, eh?