Friday 6 September 2013

The Regretful Ecclesiastic

'Fireblossom Friday' at 'Imaginary Garden with Real Toads' invites participants to create a title using one word from two lists  - one of adjectives, the other of nouns - and write a poem. The words were terrifying, regretful, miniscule, inebriated, envious,
reincarnated, obsessive, lovestruck, studious, unexpected and  sherpa, ecclesiastic,
 docent, incubus, Gypsy, zookeeper, CSI, zombie, stripper, prodigy. 


The Regretful Ecclesiastic

His sermons were chilling, his flock afeared
As he threatened penances drastic,
And many young folks foreswore worldly goods
And took to the life monastic.

He stood in the pulpit, raised arms and voice,
And declaimed in tones bombastic,
‘Be assured your sins will find you out,
Judgement Day will be fantastic.’

The years rolled past and his audience shrank,
He saw and waxed more sarcastic,
Then mellowed and his lessons became
Gentler and more scholastic.

At the end of his days as he looked back
On his life ecclesiastic
He wished he had smiled more as he preached
And been less enthusiastic.










18 comments:

  1. Oh, I really love this, Janice. (Was carried along by the rhymes.) I have known a preacher or two like him at his most 'enthusiastic.' LOL.

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  2. I do believe I knew him! Most convincing.

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  3. beware the zealot - and your keen pen is in the spirit of of Fireblossom's original quote on her post. Well done ~ M

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  4. This reads so well because of the well chosen rhymes and I love the message within the story. Very nicely done.

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  5. The rhyme works well here! interesting to see the preacher in retrospective!:)

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  6. I love the rhyme and the progression of this story!! Entertaining indeed!

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  7. I never gave much thought to the word ecclesiastic before. True thoughts for all of us here, ecclesiastic or not.

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  8. A thunderous round of applause from me!! Your repetitive rhyme adds to the humour no end, and is just brilliantly maintained to the end. Great punchline too.

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  9. An enjoyable read and fantastic use of your chosen words.

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  10. Excellent story and stellar rhyming and meter!!!!!

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  11. Loved your collection of -astic rhymes! *smiles*

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  12. Great rhymes, and a very convincing message.

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  13. I love this, Janice, and am impressed with your large vocabulary of words ending in "astic"!
    Oh, Jinksy already said that. Well, me, too.
    And how many real preachers find themselves mellowing in their twilight years? Many, I suspect.
    No one can stay bombastic forever, with the possible exception of Sir Winston C.
    Luv, K

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  14. Very nice ... I believe I have experienced every one of those pulpit transitions ....

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  15. He has a familiarity about him...great write!

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