Religion

Deeply Morbid: A Stevie Smith Shrine

Religion

According to Macgibbon, James, 'an old friend, the Reverend Gerard Irvine said this of Stevies religious belief':

"In religion Stevie was ambivalent: neither a believer, an unbeliever nor agnostic, but oddly all three at once. Intellectually she rejected the dogmas of her high Anglican background, as unreasonable and morally inferior. But she had an obsessive concern with them. She demanded a maximizing faith to reject; she was scornful of what she considered watered-down reformations of the faith, and disgusted by their liturgical expression. One could say that she did not like the God of Christian orthodoxy, but she could disregard Him or ever quite bring herself to disbelieve in Him"

I AM

Far from normal far from normal far from normal I am

He sighed as he stood on the river bank and watched where the

fishes swam

But ever the wind in the willow trees whispered, I am; I am.

He saw the variety of nature

The ant the mole the sky

And resignedly hurried upon his way

Crying: I, I; I, I;

Then a priest came and told him if he was good

And thought as he ought and did as he should

He should be saved by the Lamb's fresh blood.

Oh I know, I know the poor man cries,

I know the worth of the heavenly prize

And I know the strength of the race to be run

But my black heart cleaves to the strength of my gun.

Then he put his gun to his head and shot

Crying absurdly, I am not.

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF ETERNAL HELL

Is it not interesting to see

How the Christians continually

Try to separate themselves in vain

From the doctrine of eternal pain.

They cannot do it,

They are commited to it,

Their Lord said it,

They must believe it.

So the vulnerable body is stretched without pity

On flames for ever. Is this not pretty?

The religion of Christianity

Is mixed of sweetness and cruelty

Reject this Sweetness, for she wears

A smoky dress out of hell fires.

Who makes a God? Who shows him thus?

It is the Christian religion does,

Oh, oh, have none of it,

Blow it away, have done with it.

This god the Christians show

Out with him, out with him, let him go.