Into a secret society Gordon slyly slipped
A place where pious men remain tight lipped
He swore an oath not to tell his wife, about his new and secret life
They taught him secret cures and ways to get rich
They only required that he did not snitch
Then one day his wife complained of a pounding in her brain
Never in her life did she feel so much pain
All the doctors’ efforts were all in vain
Though Gordon could quickly cure her ills
The thought of healing gave him chills
To share this knowledge was forbidden
Deep in his heart, he kept it hidden
Days passed, he cried and cried
Knowing that he had lied and lied
Then on the night as her soul prepared for flight
She called him close to whisper in his ear:
Well done! You made me proud, my dear
You have filled my heart with cheer
For I am healthy, strong, and well
We were only testing to see if you would tell
For I am a member too
It was I who recommended you.
Copyright © Jaja Wallace
A lot of this resonates with me. Very nice.
Now that was cool 😎 That twist in the tale at the end caught me completely off guard so congratulations!
I’m glad you like it.
Wow, this is such a great poem in every way. Really impressive!! You tell a story and are poetic. A narrative poem…Iike the great poets of literature!
Thank you for the kind words, I’m glad you like it.
That was great! I was sooo no expecting that ending! Thank You and Cheers! 💕
Glad you like it, thanks for reading and commenting.
Cheers 🥂
My pleasure! 😊
Oof…I finally reached the bottom of the comments, lol
I have no idea how to feel about that very interesting and well done poem!
But I have a feeling…if I was that husband…I would start to have serious buyer’s remorse at joining that society. To inflict such moral, ethical, and emotional pain on someone…? In order to preserve a “secret”? I’d question my relationship to my wife, the society–everything. I’d question myself, as to how I could just let my wife die. I’d question my wife for putting me through that. I guess I’d be thrown out immediately, lol ! 🙂
We learn a lot about ourselves when our loyalty to our loved ones is tested.
Thank you for your kind comments.
Intriguing and thoughtful poem, so well constructed. What is more important the institution or the individual. Reminded me a little of the Catholic Church as an institution, where they put the well being of their priests over the innocence of their victims. In some eyes, anything goes to preserve the reputation of the institution.
Good point.
Corrupt institutions are very dangerous, they use their money, influence, connections and vast resources to get away with their crimes. Often the victims are vulnerable and from poor backgrounds so it is hard for them to get justice.
Which is why we are supposed to look out for those less fortunate and help them. Churches have a responsibility to help and look out for the poor and less fortunate, and your comment on corrupt institutions should be held to higher accountability than individuals for this very reason.
Indeed, very good point.
I like this, brilliant! 🙂
Thanks, I’m glad you like it.
It’s a sad state of affairs when betrayal of a loved on is a test of loyalty to the society’s rules. Such a requirement is like making a pact with the devil and membership is even a betrayal to one’s own integrity.
Maintaining integrity is so important, I wholeheartedly agree.
Love it 😊
Thanks, I appreciate the feedback.
You are most welcome
This is a brilliant poem, I am so glad I found your blog today.
I’m glad you like it.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
I believe in open communications in a marriage to be sacred and this bothered me that it was obvious not the case when his wife told him she was fine, it was all a test. Any group that takes priority over a marriage couples lives is a sign that the relationship is not built on trust and this came out at the end. Interesting read, though.
Yes open communication is very important in a marriage. When two people are in a relationship their loyalty to each other should be above loyalty to any organization.
Clever!
Thanks Dawn
Delightful post
Glad you like it, thanks.
Great wordcraft and this one left me wondering if there was love at all in this marriage. When he had to let her die just because of a secret oath😅.
I love your creativity and genius.
Thank you Evidence, I’m glad you like it.
Unfortunately in some marriages people only know each other on a surface level and they harbor many secrets.
Hopefully, they will be enjoying the union in that instance.
Personally, I don’t like shallow relationships 😁
I saw secret society and I immediately thought of Greek sororities, fraternities, and masons. But after reading your post, I was so wrong. Lol
Yes I wasn’t thinking of a particular group just the general concept of secret societies.
Yes, I’m apart of Alpha Kappa Alpha and the entire time I was pledging I was praying. You don’t know or shall I say you don’t believe until you through the process and realize it…By then its too late so all you can do is repent b/c your pride won’t let you drop line. Shaking my head!
You must have some interesting stories about your time with Alpha Kappa Alpha.
It’s great that you prayed while pledging for the Sorority, may we be comforted by prayer through our ups and downs.
Yeah Jesus is my hope in the world we live in today.
Amen, any group that seeks to compromise your faith isn’t worth joining.
Peace and blessings to you. 💓🙏🏾
It didn’t compromise my faith. I just know that Jesus isn’t with secret societies.
I forgot to add to my comment Jaja, thank you for your recent follow!
You’re most welcome.
Well, at least he found out his wife is more loyal to the secret society than to him or their marriage/partnership/friendship. Seems both of them are selfish and well suited for their cult.
Very true, loyalty to your partner should come before loyalty to an organization.
❤︎ 🙌🏻 ❤︎
Thank you for having made me think!
And thank you for stopping by.
A great twist at the end. Well done. I didn’t expect that.
Thanks for the support.
Love it💕🌹🙏
Thank you 💚✨
Wow! This is a fabulous poem. Loved it so much. ♥️♥️♥️♥️
I appreciate that. 🧡💛
Wonderful 🙂
Thanks 🙏🏾
Very nice. Like others have said, the ending was a surprise. But very well done.
Thanks Will, glad you like it.
.👌👌👌
🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Whoa . . . I didn’t expect the ending, but I am glad you took it there. This is good!
Thank you, I’m glad you found it interesting.
You’re most welcome!
Oh wow, I did not expect that twist ending. I don’t know how I would feel about this especially if I were the wife.
I can’t begin to imagine how she feels. If he breaks the oath it means he’s more loyal to her and if he keeps the secret he would pass her test.
Dear Jaja Wallace,
This short fiction that you have created demonstrates that the central character of your story has been given a test of not just his resolve but also his allegiance to the secret society. Well done!
Speaking of passing the test of being unswerving and consistent even in the most difficult circumstances requiring significant sacrifices, I would like to inform you that in a special post, I have been featuring an exemplar of a politician, statesman and chancellor from ancient China, who was so upright and unflinching in his integrity and honesty that if any of those USA senators had even just a fraction of his goodness and decency to perform their duties and to go against the former POTUS, the USA would not have sunk to such an intractable, dangerous and protracted quagmire. The upright character of this particular politician, statesman and chancellor has been immortalized in a poem, which is featured and explained in my special post entitled “Strong Wind Knows Tough Grass” published at
https://soundeagle.wordpress.com/2020/11/11/strong-wind-knows-tough-grass/
Even the courage and sacrifice of some upright US politicians such as Matthew Hoh (whom I admire) would be severely dwarfed by those of the central character of my post. This politician, statesman and chancellor had been fired six times and rehired six times, and still he persisted in his upright approach and upstanding ideal. He even surrendered and dedicated his own lands, real estates and military power! If only many more people in the financial, business and political spheres can learn from and be more like the upright character that I feature in my said post. In my own words, this historical figure is the personification of enduring loyalty, integrity, bravery and forthrightness achieved with benevolence and righteousness, but without favouritism and transgression. He was certainly not afraid of being fired half a dozen times. And such a person would certainly speak up and oppose corrupt politicians without any fear of losing their job, reputation or life.
This special post also demonstrates that China used to be astoundingly and profoundly much of what it is not.
I welcome your input since I am curious to know what you make of my said post as well as your perspectives on those matters discussed in my post. I look forward to savouring your feedback there!
Wishing you a productive week and a new season doing or enjoying whatever that satisfies you the most, both intellectually and spiritually!
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle
Thank you for pointing out that double meaning in my poem. Interestingly sometimes when we write something others can see what we don’t. A different perspective brings a whole new world.
I’ll check your article out when I get the time, I look forward to reading it.
Thanks for wishing me a productive week. I wish you a productive peaceful week as well.
I’m off to read your post. And I, too, wish all politicians were honest and put their country and its people before themselves and their ambitions.
Indeed.
Dear Viv,
Hello! I have enjoyed perusing your post entitled “Some of my Art Work”, to which I have submitted a comment.
I look forward to your reading and commenting on my said post entitled “Strong Wind Knows Tough Grass“.
Happy November to you!
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle
Interesting article, Sound Eagle, but when you write the expectation “officers to be loyal and true to the policies, not the people, so as to eliminate corruption.” It’s like saying what Putin’s officers are doing to the people of Ukraine to demonstrate “loyalty” eliminates corruption. This is a “moral” lie. China’s feudal history is a harsh one. The poetry comes better from the people than its tyrants.
Dear Hope’s Puzzle who offers everything and confirms nothing,
Thank you for your feedback! I would be very delighted if you could kindly leave your comment in my said post as a token of your visit. You could simply copy and paste your previous reply as part of your forthcoming comment to be submitted to the comment section of the post, to which your previous reply clearly pertains and also belongs. Please feel free to expand on your comment if you have additional matters to convey about the expansive post and any salient aspects of its contents. Thank you in anticipation.
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle
Um… no thank you Sound Eagle. Best wishes to you tho.
Dear Hope’s Puzzle who offers everything and confirms nothing,
China’s feudal history was by no means a monolithic, homogenous one. Rather, it was highly variegated and full of diversity.
Also, equating the largely benevolent emperor Taizong mentioned in my said post entitled “Strong Wind Knows Tough Grass” with the likes of Trump, Putin and/or other politicians and consequential actors and agents with respect to the expectation that “officers to be loyal and true to the policies, not the people, so as to eliminate corruption” is both untenable and specious, not to mention that governance during that period in the Tang Dynasty was vastly different to those in modern Russia and the USA.
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle
You’re the one who brought up an ancient Chinese emperor in relation to this author’s poem and how our current leaders in the USA should take note. I’m very well versed in the history of China. I use the I Ching daily. Don’t take my comments so hard. Peace to you.
Dear Hope’s Puzzle,
Indeed, all of them should take note of the salient details in my said post entitled “Strong Wind Knows Tough Grass“, not just those in the USA and Russia but also China and many other countries and regions in the world. There are many sobering implications of corruption, illiberalism and authoritarianism, all of which are very topical areas to explore the many outstanding tensions between (the sociopsychological states of) sanity/stability and insanity/instability, affecting even the very existence and survival of humanity. In recent years, many citizens have willingly aligned themselves with misinformation, disinformation, post-truth politics, demagoguery, plutocracy, oligarchy, ochlocracy, kleptocracy, kakistocracy, narcissistic leadership, neoliberalism, globalization, clerical fascism and Trumpism. We can also agree that the ongoing chaos inflicted by the Trump presidency finally culminated in the infamous riot at the Capitol. You and I can be justified for being cynical, snide, snarky and facetious in characterizing Trump as the symbolic messiah who is going to lead his misguided supporters, sycophants and funders to glory on Earth and the promised land! It is often futile to reason with such misguided folks. Perhaps only when the country truly becomes autocratic or fascist, or when it plunges into a civil war, will such folks wake up, but then it will be too late. Consequently, any reasonable person can conclude that the USA has been plagued by ignorance, dogma, falsity, blind faith, spiritual stagnation and epistemological impasse . . . . .
Needless to say, due to misinformation and disinformation as well as the pandemic and other global issues, 2020 to 2022 as well as the past few years had been very difficult and trying, not to mention having to deal with the pandemic. It was all quite surreal, perhaps in some ways more bizarre than ghosts and the paranormal (not that I believe in such things). One could indeed say that we live in interesting times, but often for the wrong reasons. It is all quite a big mess in danger of getting bigger still. Even a global pandemic and an insurrection at the citadel of democracy still cannot unite folks in the USA and wake them up. Perhaps it will take an even bigger crisis to do so, such as a series of climate change disasters.
Truth, decency and morality have become martyred in the post-truth era and the age of misinformation. In any case, the best and most dedicated amongst the likes of us are also inveterate teachers of everlasting, transcendental wisdom to save humans from themselves, their self-interests and their destructive ways. I often even have to coin new words to do so. The latest examples are my three neologisms “Misquotation Pandemic“, “Disinformation Polemic” and “Viral Falsity“, as discussed in my very extensive and analytical post entitled “💬 Misquotation Pandemic and Disinformation Polemic: 🧠 Mind Pollution by Viral Falsity 🦠“, which you can easily locate from the Home page of my blog.
Without proper education, the overall situation and trajectory of democracy and humanity seem to be rather bleak, and even science and politics can provide little comfort in reducing the severity and frequency of some of those outstanding issues, for there are two major Achilles’ heels: Viral Falsity and Paleolithic Emotions. In addition, my own multidisciplinary perspective proposes that four of the most insidious and corrosive conditions have exacerbated these issues dramatically:
(1) The prevailing anti-intellectualism
(2) The cult of anti-expertise sentiment
(3) The politicization of science
(4) The prevalent manifestation of populism
You are welcome to find out much more about these four conditions at my extensive and analytical post entitled “Misquotation Pandemic and Disinformation Polemic: Mind Pollution by Viral Falsity“, which has been revamped and which you can easily locate from the Home page of my blog. I look forward to your perusing my said post entitled “Misquotation Pandemic and Disinformation Polemic: Mind Pollution by Viral Falsity“, and welcome your input and feedback there, as I am certainly very keen and curious about what you will make of my said post.
From Hope’s Puzzle to SoundEagle‘s Puzzle:
https://soundeagle.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/soundeagle-in-missing-link-jigsaw-puzzle-catalyst-solution-fitting-and-working-together.jpg
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle
Don’t lump me in with your idea of snark or cynicism. I do not need to be convinced Trump is an asshole. You are not my savior, however. And ancient Chinese emperors or Feudal China are interesting historically but I wouldn’t place my “faith” in them to end corruption as much as they were part of it, Poet or no.
Stop lecturing me. Stop using me as your excuse to lecture others.
People save themselves. Leastwise you are NOT here to save me.
Where I appreciate you wanting to have a meaningful discussion, I don’t appreciate your condescending approach. I also don’t appreciate how you liked every one of my posts even tho you’ve never read them just because I commented here. You don’t care about the people. You care about your righteousness. Are all people impressed by your elaborate displays? I’m not.
I apologize to you and the author of this blog, if I have injured any feelings unintentionally.
I have zero interest to continue this one-sided discussion.
Be well. Best wishes to you.
Dear Hope’s Puzzle,
How particularly revealing your previous comment is! Please kindly be informed that your showing considerable misunderstanding and defence mechanism as well as jumping to conclusions aside, it is clear that good advice has once again fallen on deaf ears. In stark contrast to your approach, and contrary to your unfavourable interpretation of and negative reaction to what actually transpired, I, having been multilingual and multidisciplinary for decades, have continued to respond to you with consistency, great care and good will so that you may be far more aware and discerning of the complexity of various issues and pertinent affairs both in the past and the present, in addition to offering you some highly detailed and timely perspectives. Such a manner of care and good will is still being extended to you right here and now.
Let’s hope that in time, you will come to realize that I have always meant well, and that you will go on to learn many things to your own satisfaction, regardless of what and how I or anybody else might have responded to your comment(s) at a particular moment in time.
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle
I don’t need you to teach me. Stop pressing on me Sound Eagle. Stop presuming upon me. Calling me deaf is insulting. I hear you. Good luck with your evangelical propaganda no different than any other chump who fails in self restraint. NOW back off me and go save someone who sincerely cares about your message. I’m not your horse.
Dear Hope’s Puzzle,
Jumping to conclusions, making sweeping statements, and repeating overt defence mechanisms with misguided accusations, condescending remarks, gross misrepresentations and problematic requests aside, you can do very well to heed my (or for that matter, anyone’s) care, good will, advice and recommendations, regardless of how (vehemently) you continue to dismiss and disparage them. Such severe lapses in judgement and unbecoming behaviours of yours are at best a fatuous, tempestuous deflection of your underlying insecurities, and at worst a counterproductive, inglorious display of unruly unwisdom, wilful denigration, enmity and resentment that utterly fails to conceal immaturity, incivility, vindictiveness and desperation, let alone your eschewing, undermining, renouncing or discrediting good will, wisdom and benevolence.
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle
Respectfully Sound Eagle, You need to move past this. Let it go. None of what you are saying to me is true. You’re feelings are overpowering you. You are tossed between sorrow and joy no matter how close you are to people. That’s on you. Not good or bad, just how it is. Check your own ego as you preach at me. I apologize for engaging you at all. I mean you no harm or ill will. Now take a hike and go talk at someone else. I will not say this again. We don’t have to make a connection. It doesn’t mean the world is ending. Go do what you can to help the world and don’t sweat what you can’t achieve. Stop seeking attention and office just because you’re not receiving my vote. I am not interested in you and that is not meant as an insult. You turn me off. Goodbye.
Dear Hope’s Puzzle,
Please be advised that you have not merely exercised so little prudence, restraint, humility, understanding and self-reflection, but have also resorted to blame others for what has been ostensibly a grand display of unwisdom coupled with a shortage of critical thinking on your part. Whatever issues you have with me, they are very much a reflection of your inadequacy, incivility, insecurity and a whole host of defensive and misleading claims and arguments replete with what you assume to know well or believe to be true, which nevertheless are biased, misguided, fallacious, factually untrue and logically problematic, as copiously evident and abundant in a series of your comments. Furthermore, I do not need your apology, which serves hardly any purpose other than mere formality or superficial concession that amounts to little. You simply flatter yourself (shamelessly) to think that the likes of you have so much to offer that my comments can be construed as “seeking attention and office”. Your being unwise, accusatory, highly problematic and lacking reflexivity and humility in so many aspects aside, you can do very well to realize all along that nobody has ever forced you to engage me or anyone else for that matter. A reply to any of my comments has never been mandatory, regardless of whether you are interested in or agree with me or not.
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle
You followed my blog because you are quarrelsome. I removed you from my followers. I have also removed the author of the original post where you dropped your comment from my followers. I have never followed you. This is our first exchange of words ever and if you wanted to convince anyone of your good intentions towards the world and for the world you have failed.
You have emotional problems. I haven’t blamed you for anything other than your ego and sense of entitlement to lecture me when I have no interest in you. When it comes down to it, you’re not a sincere person. Stop asking for me to validate your existence. Stop asking for my approval. Stop trying to act smarter than me. Go LEARN some self respect. Stop throwing yourself away like a GIRL who got flustered when she met someone stronger. I’m not your chump. Go grift somewhere else.
Dear Hope’s Puzzle,
Please be informed that your further lies and retaliations only serve to highlight and confirm even more of what I have already stated about you in my previous comments, not to mention that contrary to your false claims, I had followed your blog well before we started to interact here at Mr Jaja Wallace’s blog, and I had never submitted a single comment to your blog.
Once again, you have shamelessly flattered yourself by making further false claims that I asked for your approval and needed you to validate my existence. As for your other derogatory remarks and escalatory falsehoods, they also serve very well to illustrate and validate how you have been conducting yourself.
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle
You are out of your friggin mind. Go away troll.
Dear Hope’s Puzzle,
The quality of your statements and conducts simultaneously belies and betrays your fragile morality and maturity.
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle
Great! Feel superior to me. I don’t care. Just GO AWAY. Stop trying to vampire my energy and go work on convincing the world that ancient Chinese Emperors are the key to saving them from corruption. Go make that whole police state work with feudal China poetry. And by ALL means Good luck. Feel proud of yourself. You’ve done well in spreading joy and good will. You’re a real champion.
Dear Hope’s Puzzle,
Repeatedly committing gross misrepresentations and jumping to false conclusions aside, good advice keeps falling on deaf ears, not to mention that there is neither glory nor redemption to be found in your sarcasm.
As I have already mentioned, you simply flatter yourself shamelessly and misrepresent others egregiously to claim that the likes of you have so much to offer that my comments can be conveniently construed or twisted for making various claims that you see fit, regardless of how problematic, objectionable, unconscionable, untenable, specious and/or spurious they can or have become. Your being unwise, accusatory, highly problematic and lacking reflexivity and humility in so many aspects aside, you can do very well to realize all along that nobody has ever forced you to engage me or anyone else for that matter. A reply to any of my comments has never been mandatory, regardless of whether you are interested in or agree with me or not. I for one would not think any less of you if you chose not to reply.
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle
I forgot to say Sound Eagle, thank you for all the times you’ve liked my posts!
Dear Hope’s Puzzle,
You are very welcome!
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle