[Jim Moonan]

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The life of Mary Magdalene is a touchstone for me. She was my awakening to the carnal side of religiosity. Her wayward ways were the stuff that pubescent altar boys dreamed of. I know now that is just a perpetuation of Christianity's biases and blind spots. I've long ago lost interest in her rumor-laden life. Strangely, Stephen Dedalus in Joyce's "Portrait of the Artist" is something of a Mary Magdalene. I pictured myself as him in my twenties.

I, too, wonder who "you" is. I even had some doubts as to who "me" is. I like the ambiguity of not knowing for sure who is who — Although I wouldn't be surprised if, upon subsequent readings, it becomes perfectly clear.

There are a handful of great lines in this. But given my strict Catholic upbringing this line hits home:

A pinup for repentance. Of a sort.


Julie made good suggestions that you adopted. I checked all your t's and i's and they're good to go : )

A parable poem.


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[Susan McLean]

Jim, it was good to hear what you connected to, what was ambiguous, and your feelings about both. I think a certain level of ambiguity is good, because it lets readers bring their own ideas into the poem, instead of just listening to the author's ideas. A poem like this is more about imagination than about facts.

Susan