The White Smoke (in Celebration of Our New Pope Leo XIV) — by Dr. Theresa Cunanan, Division of Arts and Languages
Keywords: Pope Leo XIV, Macbeth, catharsis, modern poetry, journal therapy and prayer healing
Accepted: May 30, 2025; Published online: June 17, 2025; Published: June 27, 2025
Arise from the dead
Easter Monday
To: Francis & Francis Co. Ltd. @ cc: Francis
Subject: Demise
May 8th: Make me a channel of your peace
May 8th: Truman declares the surrender of the swastika;
May 8th: Where there is hatred let me sow love
May 8th: The accused stands trial still;
May 8th: Where there is injury, pardon
May 8th: The hurt bleeds into tepid waters;
May 8th: Where there is doubt, faith
May 8th: The bled waters coagulate
To form new hurt procreating new injuries
Befallen in Golgotha
Good Friday
Re. Falsely accused, betrayed and beaten. Naked.
“Why lovest thou that which thou receiv’st not gladly,
Or else receiv’st with pleasure thine annoy?” (Sonnet 8)
Shall self-deception procure thee to
“… have no spur
To prick the sides of (thine) intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself
And falls on the other—” (Act 1, Scene 7, Macbeth)
Pater in manus tuas commendospiritum meum
New hurt procreating new injuries,
Pater, dimitte illis, quia nesciunt, quid faciunt
Bless new hurts, oblivion. Into healing.
Recede.
Amen.