(Don't) Take Me to Church

When I first heard this song,
I was struck by the image of raw passion,

visions of desperate, grasping desire

spinning across the stage of my mind - 

and then I saw the video;

different from what my neurons fired at each other 

within my skull,

but not so far removed, really.

This song's title, at least,

goes well with the little snippet I pulled from my memo pad on my phone.

8/14/2016
My church is this beautiful planet - 

the rocky coastline of Maine, 

where I grew up,

its rugged terrain, its harsh winters;

berries growing in cool forests,

sea life teaming in dark grey-green water--

Maine, with its only straight lines to be found 

in the pine trees that crowd its shores; 

the red sands and arches of Utah's deserts, 

capped by rich blue skies; 

soft snow cascading down ski-able peaks, 

rivers to kayak in,

and all the animals one might be lucky enough to see. 

I've lived in 4 states so far, 

and even found serenity in the comparatively bland beauty of Iowa--

rolling green hills, crowned with rich red barns;

I'm in Pennsylania now,

and William was not exaggerating:

this is a sylvan wonderland,

rich, green forests bend low over winding roads,

like Mother Nature herself hugging the world.
This is heaven,
this is church.
And I don't believe in hell. 

For many years after leaving the church of my youth, 

of my family, 

I uneasily, defiantly,
joked about the certainty of my place in hell... 

Now, I smile, filled with peace and joy, 

because the only hell is the one we make for ourselves--

by choosing to believe that we deserve pain or punishment for simply being human.
Church is to build and test self-discipline. That is all.
Love yourself, forgive yourself. 

Be kind, be honest. The end.