First Place Winning Poem – by Ann Heath
Ann Heath is working as a therapist in Salem Oregon. Attended St. Louis University as an English major but then received a master’s in social work at U. of Missouri. Currently she has a private counseling practice. She wrote poetry when she was younger, recently joined Salem Poetry Project, and has been inspired to rework some poems written years ago.
Mary Magdalene has Second Thoughts about Jesus
I thank the surrogate lovers
who stood at the door
after you left.
Confident I’d fall
into old ways,
they laughed,
pouring wine,
and pulled me
onto my bed.
For,
with them,
I remembered
(coming again)
a time when there was
only a crowd
with stones.
JUDGE COMMENTS
Full disclosure: I am familiar with the Biblical narrative regarding Mary Magdalene. She was a follower of the person called Jesus the Christ.
Mary Magdalene was a woman from whom the Bible says seven demons had been cast out. There is no Biblical text suggesting she was an immoral woman. Mary Magdalene, accompanied by a woman named Mary, is the first person to see the resurrected Jesus, and thus proclaimed it to Christ’s disciples.
#1. To suggest Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus and witness to his resurrection, experienced second thoughts about, I assume, his Divinity summoned my attention. The title itself conjured up a plethora of questions. This is exactly what a poem should do. It strikes a pose. It stands alone in and by itself. I was led to believe I should read the poem.
#2. As specified in my approach, the opening lines augment the title.
I thank the surrogate lovers / who stood at the door / after you left.
These opening lines and line breaks are written in poetic form. This too induces curiosity given there is no Biblical text asserting Mary Magdalene was an immoral woman. The line breaks are beautifully constructed in the framework of page. Thus, I was inspired to pursue the meaning of the poem and the amplification of both title and opening lines.
While I chose not to question or authenticate the point of the poem, I respect the right of the poet to say what poetic inspiration dictated. The body of the poem is a concise poetic pursuit and speaks of Mary Magdalene’s experience. I am left to ponder why she would have doubts about Jesus and appreciate being left with that conundrum. There are times when such conundrum is well served poetically.
#3. The following lines do a fantastic job summing up the poem.
I remembered / (coming again) /
a time when there was / only a crowd / with stones
The Old Testament purports to require a woman caught in an adulterous act or relationship should be put to death by stoning. This judge intuits the notion Jesus visited Mary Magdalene but did not engage in an immoral act with her; thus creating doubt about him. This is an assumption. Only the writer of this poem can provide an answer.