Mary Magdalene and the Stoners


Mary did not wear a robe

They saw her dress, her ankle curve

She touched a nerve, an eyeball swerve

The men confessed, they were stressed

They were distressed, they confessed

By her swerve, her ankle curve

Her tilt of breast, the lilt of dress

They could not rest, in their distress

They dragged Mary to the green

Wanted all to see, be seen

Their gaze was keen,  Strip her clean

She must confess,  the men were stressed

The Men of Stone, eyes of bone

Picked up stone, cold as moan,

Mary saw the Wife of Bath

Spitting back the Grapes of Wrath

She told the Stones they were Unblessed

They should swallow their distress

She demanded Word of Bone

Who was pure  in World of Stone

The Stones, amazed, bowed down to bless

Mary in her silken dress

The men confessed, they were stressed

Touched her palm, Holy Balm

Author(s)

  • Bernard Block was born and raised in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and attended Cornell University and Brooklyn College. He hitch-hiked to California in 1965 and lived in the Haight-Ashbury through 1967 where he gave poetry readings at the I and Thou Coffee Shop, North Beach coffee houses and Golden Gate Park. He returned to NYC and studied with the poet Colette Inez in the mid '70's. He earned his living as a caseworker with the Bureau of Child Welfare in New York City (he is now retired). Bernard has read at all the major spoken-word venues in NYC. He has presented his poetry in venues in Philadelphia, Columbia, SC and Asheville, NC. In August, 2014 he was invited to feature in Laugharne, South Wales in celebration of the centenary of Dylan Thomas’ birth. Bernard curates and hosts the Series “From Whitman to Ginsberg” at Cornelia St. Café. There have been 21 editions of this Series; the most recent was presented on September 28, 2018. All 21 editions were videotaped and can be accessed on his YouTube Channel. He has had 38 poems published in the prestigious European on-line literary journal Levure Littéraire #8, #9 and #12 (Editors: Rodica Draghincescu; Erika Dagnino). Five of Bernard's poems appear in the French/English literary journal Recours au Poème (Editor: Marilyne Bertoncini) with French translation by Elizabeth Brunazzi. In an article in this journal regarding the NYC poetry scene, Ms. Brunazzi devotes a significant discussion to Bernard's poetry and his organizing role on that scene. Bernard Block’s book of poetry "Am I My Brother’s Keeper?" has been released by Dark Light Publishing. This is a bilingual edition, English/Spanish, with evocative translations by the eminent Mexican poet, Roberto Mendoza Ayala. It is available on Amazon and from the author: [email protected]