Thin Line between Heaven/Hell

Brava PS❣❣ You illustrate a brand of hypocrisy so prevalent in our time, hell throughout time in memoriam. And you do so with such subtlety. This compelling question gives this libidinous hypocrite pause,
"Which sanctuary delivers you salvation?" 😘

Why, thank you! And an extra thanks for the reading list entry.

Yes, hypocrisy is certainly timeless.  I think we hear about it more now, in our time, because it makes for good stories when you have a lot of airtime to fill. It's also easier to find your way into relationships that don't quite fit into one's professed beliefs, since virtual affairs are possible now.

What does one do when desires are counter to beliefs, vows, responsibilities, etc? People are complicated, and none of us escape hypocrisy.

I modified my comment. Not sure what that "incomplete" part was about.
I used to be plagued with guilt for not meeting the moral code of my religion. I do, however, try to abide by the fundamentals of loving one another, not judging others, and akin with love just being kind to others. These are two poems that describe my struggle,
https://deepundergroundpoetry.com/poems/203565-battle-rages-within/
https://deepundergroundpoetry.com/poems/348040-msagicis-corporis-humani---a-villanelle/

Oooo the cyber lover thing is a real relevant and difficult question...hand flys up, guilty 😇

I wasn't really raised in a religion. I've been around it, I've gone to churches, but it wasn't a regular part of my life, so I don't have an attachment to religion.

As much as one may believe in being loving to one another, being kind, etc, that can fall into some pretty grey areas rather quickly when it comes to affairs of any sort – physical, emotional, or virtual. I suppose one can go with "what they don't know won't hurt them," but people get caught, hurt is caused. Kindness to one can easily be lost when you're being really, really, really kind with someone else. Now, that is a form of guilt I'm familiar with.

I like the way you put that, "really, really, really kind." Yes there are some who will probably receive more just agape...it's amazing genuine intimacy can feel though generated with words...perhaps better for some...no clumsyiness 😜

Depends on who's writing the words... I've seen some pretty clumsy words. :D

That's true...from me? Don't answer that 😄

So far, so brilliant. Looking forward  for more stanzas to come. :-)

Thank you. I'm not sure there are more stanzas. I'm mostly mulling over what's here and if it's where I want it to be. Appreciate the read and the comment.

I read the authors note at the end, and I actually think that the unsettled nature of the poem doesn't need to be changed. Why? Because it communicates the unsettled nature of the poet who wrote it. It communicates that feeling perfectly, and I'm not sure that polishing that out would be a good thing. I guess I am a fan of raw and unfiltered however.  

This poem of course, did make me feel uncomfortable, and I feel that is always the measure of a good poem for me. Mind you, I kinda grew up with that sense of religious guilt hammered into me, so it's always interesting to hear elements of that in another voice and read other perspectives of this.  

I pondered the last two lines the most, thinking about what that means to me as a reader. And I think it shows that you weren't interested in the content of the message - you were only interested in the finer details such as the time. And maybe, this is how you see your relationship with belief in regards to the metaphor of sex...  not being interested in the overall picture and what is right and what is wrong, but of what feels right to you. Those beautiful details. I dunno... just trying to explain how it made me feel as a reader.  

Overall, I really loved this piece. Thought it was interesting, and that there was a lot to break down and pick apart beyond the surface level.  

Thank you for sharing.  

-M

I'm coming to terms with my unsettling. It didn't really fell finished when I was done writing it, like maybe there was more to say, but I didn't have anything more for it. After sitting with it for a bit, I decided to let it go and post it. Glad I did.

I didn't grow up with religious guilt, but there's plenty of it around me. Of course, religion plays into so many societal expectations and pressures, and I'm real familiar with those.

Can't tell you how much I appreciate you pondering and sharing your thoughts about this piece. Thank you so much for that.

This was a raw write sugah. Stark detail, palpable emotion in the voice. Powerful

Thank you. I really appreciate your comment and that you felt all of that from the piece.

Agree with Miss_Sub ... great the way it is ...

Thank you muchly :-)

I think it being unsettling is part of what makes this good writing. the fact that we all feel, well, shaky means that you've done what you should.

my favorite bit, that keeps making me think:
"Is there redemption
between my knees on the floor
and your church door?

Which sanctuary delivers you salvation?"

because i'm wondering if redemption and salvation are the same thing. because if they are different, you can get redemption between the narrator's knees AND the church door, but they have to choose to get the salvation. such interesting things to think about. well done. you've done what art should do: make people think.

The response to this from those who've commented has been surprising to me, and in the best way.

Redemption and salvation have different connotations to me, though I do know they're often used similarly. I don't know if explaining how I view them would be too much explanation or not, so I'll leave it at that for now.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and letting me know it's made you think. That's high praise, and I truly appreciate it.

Oh I do think they have different connotations! And I wouldn’t want you to explain it, really. I like when I poet doesn’t spell it all out for me! I like to work for it a little bit.