Poetry: Jerome Berglund

Jerome Berglund

1

Brain Surgery

by their acts

innocent 

v. not guilty

the dove a

sacrificial animal 

capital crime

palestinian jews

thy god

my god 

heavenly hosts

the sustenance in

fallen locusts

speaking 

in tongues

salad fork

***

2

Faith Healing 

miracles, marvels

Hewlett Packard

not responding 

differentiating 

applications 

of sanskrit

officiating 

lay priest 

mock trial 

washed in water

gnat in 

the eye

wonder workers

a scourge

of cords

***

 

3

Pick-Up Sticks 

pitch deck 

the singing voice

not asked for

pinch point 

these wings 

came later 

mosaic law

the worm

dieth not

checkerboard night

small bright light which 

hangs over painting

a miserere

translated

into sky

***

 

References:

John the Baptist, as described in the Gospels, lived in the wilderness and ate locusts and wild honey, a diet that was both unusual and symbolic of his message of repentance and preparation for the coming of the Messiah.

In the Bible, "speaking in tongues" (glossolalia) refers to a Spirit-led activity where a believer speaks in a language they haven't learned, praising God, as seen in Acts 2:4 and 1 Corinthians 14:2, 4.

The phrase "your God will be my God" comes from the Book of Ruth in the Bible, specifically in chapter 1, verse 16, where Ruth expresses her unwavering loyalty and commitment to Naomi.

Before the establishment of the State of Israel, "Palestinian Jews" or "Jewish Palestinians" referred to Jews who lived in Palestine (the Land of Israel) before 1948.

It's important to note that the Nazi appropriation of the swastika as a symbol of hate and violence is a distortion of its original, positive meaning in various cultures, including Hinduism.

In ancient Jewish tradition, doves and young pigeons were acceptable burnt offerings, particularly for those who could not afford more expensive animals, and were also used in rituals of purification and atonement.

The "heavenly host" refers to the army or multitude of angelic beings that are believed to reside in heaven and serve God, as mentioned in Abrahamic texts like the Hebrew and Christian Bibles and the Quran. 

The saying "you will know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:16-20) emphasizes that a person's actions and character, or "fruit," reveal their true nature, whether they are good or bad, and are a better indicator than their outward appearance or claims.

The concept of being "caught up" or "translated" into the presence of God, as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, where it says, "Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."

A miserere is a psalm in which mercy is sought, especially Psalm 51 or the music written for it.

Mosaic Laws are the laws given by God to the Israelites through Moses which can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. Mosaic Law begins with The Ten Commandments and includes rules regarding religious observances outlined in the Pentateuch, which are the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.

The phrase "where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:48) is a biblical passage, often interpreted as a depiction of eternal torment or suffering in hell, and is a reference to Isaiah 66:24.

In a biblical context, "wonder-workers" or "workers of miracles" refers to individuals endowed with divine ability to perform extraordinary acts that transcend natural laws, often used as signs and wonders to authenticate God's message and messengers.

In the biblical story of the cleansing of the temple, Jesus, finding merchants and money changers exploiting the Temple, made a "scourge of cords" and drove them out, overturning tables and scattering their money, emphasizing the Temple's intended purpose as a house of prayer.

---

Setu, August 2025