“Don’t blame the sinner.” Her words still simmer ‘neath the surface of my soul As if by nodding so her sin would be undone, Could be blotted out with brushes broad and white. She bears no shame, her hedon’s halo glows, As if the fault is mine for being blind, My expectations pure, unstained and true,
Don’t blame the sinner? Without her willful deed there is no sin, Like lonely falling trees in silent wilds, Their sound not heard, no ears to hear, And yet, the queens of light and dark abide, Whilst we, mere pawns, will pay a heavy price, She sheds her guilt. I quit her game.
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This is my response to this week’s Speakeasy over at Yeah Write. The prompt requires writers to include “Don’t blame the sinner” as the first line of a fiction or poetry piece of 750 words or less; writers must also make some sort of reference to the above painting. Hope you enjoyed my contribution!
Opal Reflections 
Very beautiful and also so deep
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A very thought provoking idea…does evil exist without the evil doer? And does the sinner bear no responsibility?
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This flowed beautifully. Lots of great imagery throughout and I love what simmers just below the surface. So poetic!
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Thank you! I apologize for not having responded sooner – I only just saw your comment. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
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Great flow! Enjoyed this very much –
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Thank you!
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“:Her words still simmer ‘neath the surface of my soul”-beautiful Joanne and as Suzanne says above,,that last line is awesome! 🙂
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Thanks, Atreyee. As always, your comments are taken to heart.
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🙂
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This is gorgeous, Joanne! Love the rhythm and the pacing. Fantastic use of imagery – and that last line is just perfect! 🙂
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Thanks, Suzanne. I just got in under the wire😊
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The entire poem is beautiful, but I read the line about the light and dark queens several times! The words flow so well.
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Thanks, Janna. This one took awhile, but then suddenly it was done.
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Very beautifully written poem and imagery!
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Thank you. I appreciate your feedback.
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