Update and a Poem

I haven’t focused on this substack much in the last few months. I have been working on a book of poetry and that has eaten up most of my attention. I am in the final stretch though, so I am planning to engage here more often. Today, I would like to give you a short update and share the first poem from my book with you.

My most recent post explored some of the patterns present in the Divine Comedy. I thought it turned out pretty well, but I didn’t enjoy the writing process. I think I struggled with the writing process because my book is essentially exploring the same thing—but through poetry. And I found poetry to be a more meaningful way to engage with Dante’s work.

Based on that and my previous posts, I think I’d like to take my substack in a bit of a different direction. I’m not sure exactly what though. I generally find poetry more meaningful than prose, so I’m considering incorporating poetry into my substack in some way. Also, I enjoyed writing the post in which I described my journey back to Christianity, so I might take things in a direction more like that.

Now, I would like to briefly describe my book and share the opening poem. It’s a collection of just over 30 poems inspired by the Divine comedy. It’s a journey through hell, purgatory, and into paradise. It incorporates elements of my personal story as well as the time that we live in. The book has a narrative through-line but it is not a fully fleshed out narrative like that of Dante, it’s more condensed. I like to think of it as a pilgrimage of poetry.

My hope is that the book can present some of the wisdom of the Divine Comedy in a more accessible form. And also show how Dante’s vision is still relevant and applicable today.

Here is a reading of the poem and the written text:

The Call

As I walked my path,
Fire stopped me in my tracks
So I set a new course
Again, fire flashed forth
I turned to my left, my right
Fire had me in its sights
Whichever path I pursued 
Fire soon fenced my way
No matter which trail 
Flames found me without fail
The fire stalked me like prey
Around and around, I turned
No escape 
Fire all around me, 
Snake that bound me
Coiling tighter, burning brighter
Until, I couldn’t move

The dark storm of death loomed
Fear struck like lightning
My hope like hail fell
 
Wings not my own
Rescued me from hell

I floated without fear
High above the blaze
Above the whirlwinds, 
The storm within 

And that Angel asked me 
Are you ready
To fall 
Into the depths 
Of it all?