Posted by oldskoolxiangutterjunkie on November 03, 1999 at 23:54:23:
In Reply to: a poem posted by Sunray on November 03, 1999 at 21:09:28:
Many people would say the writer of this poem is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. But there is a difference between double mindedness, which is a terrible state, and paradox, which is apparent contradiction but achieves some sort of stasis, much like the Trinity, which though composed of three separate persons, is nevertheless ONE nature. The Chestertonians will understand this. That God is triple minded and that he is tripping about the place would be a lark. He, though being three persons, is of ONE mind. But, back to apparent contradictions. The word apparent refers to appearances. An apparent contradiction appears to be a contradiction. Big therefore. In application, the writer of CONFLICTING EMOTIONS might appear to schizoid or about to burst. My, what a peccary that would be!!!! However, those spooky kids who listen to the Cure would know that there is this ecstatic type of reality that exists in a Robert Smith song full of apparent contradictions. These appearances playing off of each other present a certain tension that is resolved in an emotional release or in relief against the implication of a dark, brooding, haunting love. In fact all real apparent contradictions will be dissolved into resolved in any Cure song. In like manner, the aforementioned poem does not seek to resolve apparent contradictions but to present them. If the poet was conscious of charity, which equals God, and wrote in that Smithian spirit of abandon, then said poet will, by boldly presenting us w/ these contradictory monsters, be opening up a door to a deeper, higher and more glorious conversation. If the poet had no such charitable reference, then his cymbals are clanking and his whole production has veritably gone amuck. That Rahab told a lie is an apparent contradiction. That she is a hero of faith is a deep mystery. That Robert Smith exists is an apparent contradiction, that he sings to us is the resolution of a contradiction in God. That this mystery poet has emotions is a conflict, that he writes about them is a wonder to behold.
CURE SONG OF CHOICE AT MOMENT: HOT,HOT,HOT