the dragon of money and the dragon of religion

NEW WOMAN – ME!  no 7

for so long I lived in credulous naivety
I trusted people blindly
especially those I had been taught
to look up to —
respect for traditions and rules
were a part of my inner constitution
of my social ordering
that blinded the normal logics
of my powers of assessment

now, having finally regained my sight
I am disturbed by the dreadful overwhelming power
of a banking system without love
through which people are paralysed and exploited

now, having finally regained my sight,
I am disturbed by the dreadful and colossal power
with which religions
wielding false arguments about God’s will
and God’s revenge
keep people imprisoned —
I see it all and I feel powerless

© Tina van Lieshout
translation John Wijngaards

MEDITATIONS

desert journey three selves in me me broken in pieces male and female my choice irrepressible thrust the money dragon and the religion dragon evolving identity women carry the church

the force of time I accuse women I accuse men my inner struggle past present future my dream and God saw that it was very good phallus worship on the way

Tina van Lieshout was a Dutch Catholic woman who felt called to the priesthood. Her diocese refused her admission to the priestly formation programme which she challenged in high-profile court cases. She lost. Being both a gifted artist and poet, she described her despair in a series of paintings and meditations. But she also expressed through them her determination to realise her potential as a free and equal person.  Her work was published in the Dutch book Ook in de Naam van de Moeder en de Dochter [= ‘Also in the Name of the Mother and the Daughter’], Wilco, Amersfoort 2000. She died in 2010.