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The Science of Absolution (Atonement) Dedicate to Michael (poem)

By Gregory Ross

A soldier's bullet of a few ounces, a battleship shell of a ton
are relative weights to the Death they devise.

To kill is
as easy as pulling a trigger
as easy as plotting a trajectory
but, the consequences of these actions
multiplies until guilt becomes a logarithm computing our humanity.
The certainty of mathematics is a lie when the soul is involved:
one dead is one hundred percent to the one dead
one killing one. Is this arithmetic? Many killing many. Is this calculus?

How do you measure the weight of War?
Is it the quality of our shame? The quantity of our suffering?
Do you divide the number killed by the number killing;
is this our fraction of responsibility? Does this fraction reduce,
if not just the soldier but,
all of us, Civilian Politician Priest Teacher
all of us computes the burden in our hearts?

How do you determine the density of forgiveness?
Does pardon have a dimension? If so, how is it gauged?
Is absolution measured in the depth of our sorrow?
The length of our rage? Or in the value of a Tear?

The anguish of a tear captured never calculated concentrates,
unbalancing the Soul. Released, tears encompass
the physics of forgiveness. Are the matter and energy of atonement.

The catalyst of crying converts guilt and shame and rage
to healing unbound. Reconciled, the solace of a tear expands;
calibrating the Soul. In tears is the chemistry of serenity.
The properties of peace of mind. The equation of exoneration.

This is the Science of Absolution:
First a tear then another then many
then many, many more.

ACCOMPANING HAIKU: At this time, occasionally, I was writing an Haiku to encapsulate poems:

ATONEMENT (1) Soldier's kill to live but, to survive, will dredge their SOULS of GRIEF and CRY

ATONEMENT (2) Soldier's kill to live but, to survive, will dredge their SOULS for PEACE and CRY

When reciting ATONEMENT (not yet 1 or 2) at a gathering in honor of deceased veterans; I unconsciously used the words: "for Peace" not "of Grief." The origin of ATONEMENT (2).

ATONEMENT 1 and 2 form an healing arc, from GRIEF to PEACE by way of TEARS.
A true encapsulation of "The Science of Absolution."

—Gregory Ross