Wednesday, October 20, 2010

In Nomine Fili


(Photo: Taken at the Philadelphia Art Museum)


I learned the secret
rites of exorcism
I learned the language
and habits of the beast
I brewed holy water
broke my body's bread
and poured glass after glass
of hot bloody wine

I excised the demon
in the end
with his cloven eyes
and tickly tongue
I cut him surgically clean
from his no-more womb

but he's still standing there
laughing
crushing every relic and incantation
rummaged to finish him
he's goading me
to kiss the point of a knife
to kiss and plunge
but for all he knows
and all he's done
and all the tortures
he loves to plan
he really has not the slightest
glimmer of understanding
who the fuck
he's dealing with

12 comments:

Oddyoddyo13 said...

This was so wonderfully written it was quite literally scary. You go Jason! Fight them demons!

Atrisa said...

I swear I did not pay attention to the picture before I read this. It seriously seems like an infant who is so hard to deal with as he is at danger every step of the way and never puts the parents' mind at ease.

"to kiss the point of a knife" reminds me of when kids, unaware of the dangerousness of what they're holding, just play with it like a toy.

I had 2 newborns at my place yesterday, I'm guessing this is a backlash!

Shadow said...

ha, you tell him!

Erratic Thoughts said...

I don't know how it works, but ignorance is bliss...
Powerful image and words!

the walking man said...

Welcome to the light. Fuck that motherfucker up dude!

Nate Wilson said...

Silly demon never stood a chance. Wonderful work, Jason!

Bebo said...

The eyes in the painting... haunting/haunted... great imagery in the image & the words. Well done. Go slay them demons!

Anonymous said...

Oddyoddyo13, it's a resourceful adversary. But so am I.

Atrisa, I love hearing about different reads and interpretations! Thanks!!

Shadow, maybe I'll introduce my foot to his face.

Erratic Thoughts, ignorance really is bliss. Until you learn the truth.

Walking Man, it's rumble time.

Nate, thanks, man!

Bebo, those eyes seem haunted to me too. Perfect for this piece.

yamini said...

That piece gave me goosebumps!!
Very well written :)

SzélsőFa said...

i'd love to give another interpretation :)
the boy in the picture is *the boy*, the saviour, to whom the poem is addressed 'in nomine filii'
and the demon is there to draw your attention to some sore points within you. perhaps it's been sent by the *boy*, again, *the* boy himself.
:)
right now, with this unfortunate accident i had two weeks ago, this is the only possible explanation i can come up with with regards to demons.

K.Lawson Gilbert said...

One word - Chilling!!!

Anonymous said...

Yamini, these fights can get nasty. And dangerous.

Szelsofa, I was reading about what happened to you. So sorry you have to go through all that! It's so easy to take teeth for granted until you have a problem with them.

Kaye, in the end, you can't surrender.