Dogma not Divine, Myth not Holy (Sonnet 2430) ― Abhijit Naskar, Sonnets From The Mountaintop

“I’m done trying to please everybody, the academic robot, the religious fanatic, the newage crackpot – I’m done tiptoeing on eggshells. Alright, maybe not please everybody, but I’ve always practiced restraint, never too confrontational to nobody, by my standard that is. For example, the following sonnet was drafted last year, but I didn’t feel at ease to publish it, until now.”



“Dogma not Divine, Myth not Holy (Sonnet 2430)

What kind of a moron demands his devotee
to slaughter his son just to prove his loyalty!

What kind of an alcoholic father
sends his son to be tortured and nailed
on a cross just to prove how much he cares!

What kind of a pervert rescues his wife
from her abductor only to abandon her,
just so his reputation as the ideal king
wouldn’t be tarnished by a violated woman!

Mythologies have nothing to do with holiness,
nor with the actual creator of the cosmos,
even if there is such a thing, at most they
reflect the mindset and morality of their time.

I never had any interest
in making a case for or against god,
my struggle is far more real,
against dogma disguised as divine.”