Why write in poetry rather than in prose according to Bernard of Cluny

Bernard of Cluny on Poetry vs. Prose

In the prologue to his satirical poem De contemptu mundi, Bernard of Cluny explicitly explains why he chose verse rather than prose. He argues that a wise author should not simply “publish” their work without first refining it through the scrutiny of others, and that poetry demands a higher standard of craftsmanship than prose. 

Bernard writes that a prudent writer should correct their style by comparing it with the works of the wise, and that if one refuses to submit to such correction, one shows both folly and pride. He notes that “the wise and learned” learn from the eloquence of others, imitate their structure, and refine their own work through polishing, ornamentation, and correction. In contrast, those who publish without such care “are not even taken seriously by the uneducated”

"Bernard of Cluny (also known as Bernard of Morlaix) was a twelfth-century Benedictine monk and one of the greatest Latin hymn writers of the Middle Ages. Although very little is known about his personal life, he is believed to have been born in France early in the twelfth century, possibly at Morlaix in Brittany, though his exact place of origin remains uncertain. Tradition holds that he was of English parentage and spent most, if not all, of his adult life in the famous Abbey of Cluny under the leadership of Peter the Venerable. At that time, Cluny was the most influential monastery in Western Europe, renowned for its magnificent church, elaborate liturgical worship, immense wealth, and large monastic community. It was within this environment of both religious devotion and material splendor that Bernard composed the work for which he is remembered.

Bernard's lasting fame rests almost entirely on his monumental Latin poem De Contemptu Mundi ("On the Contempt of the World"), a satirical and devotional masterpiece of approximately 3,000 lines. Written in an exceptionally difficult form of Latin verse known as Leonine dactylic hexameter, the poem denounces the moral corruption, greed, hypocrisy, and spiritual decay of the medieval world while directing the reader's attention to the eternal glory of heaven. Bernard himself confessed that such a demanding work could only have been completed through the direct help of the Holy Spirit, humbly attributing its composition not to his own skill but to divine wisdom.

The central theme of De Contemptu Mundi is the contrast between the fleeting pleasures of this present world and the everlasting joy awaiting God's people in the heavenly Jerusalem. Bernard vividly portrays the vanity of earthly riches, the certainty of divine judgment, the horrors of hell, and the incomparable beauty of the celestial city. His vision is deeply biblical, calling Christians to live as pilgrims whose true citizenship is in heaven rather than being captivated by the passing attractions of this life. While the poem contains severe denunciations of sin and sobering warnings of judgment, it also offers profound hope by pointing believers to the eternal rest and glory prepared for the redeemed. "

Bernard of Cluny - Hymn Writer Biography | Hymnal Library

More be added

My Chat with OpenAI about my bridesmaid dress made of Chrystalline

"I wore a bridesmaid dress in 1955 and Chrystalline was the name of the fabric. My mother made it. It was sheer yet opaque, but not fragile. It glistened and didn't wrinkle as quickly as organdy. She was quite excited about it. Beautiful selection of colors."  That was my question to Open AI. It said it didn't exist, I pushed back.

"You're right to push back — I was wrong to say it wasn't a fabric name. Based on your description, the fabric was almost certainly crystal organza (sometimes sold under the name "crystalline organza" or simply "crystalline").

Here's why it fits perfectly:

Sheer yet opaque: Organza is sheer in a single layer but has a crisp, stiff body that makes it read as more substantial than chiffon or net — especially over a lining, as a bridesmaid dress would have.

Not fragile: The crystalline surface texture (a slightly rough, faceted weave) gives it more body and tear resistance than soft cotton organdy.

Glistened: The crystalline texture catches light from multiple angles, producing a natural twinkle — no glitter or metallic thread needed.

Didn't wrinkle as quickly as organdy: The stiffness of the weave means it holds its shape better than cotton organdy, which creases sharply.

Beautiful selection of colors: By 1955, synthetic-fiber organza (nylon or early polyester) was available in a wide range of bright, saturated colors that cotton organdy couldn't match.

Mother was excited: This was a relatively new synthetic fabric. In 1955, a home sewer finding a fabric that was sheer, lustrous, wrinkle-resistant, and sturdy enough to hold a full skirt shape would have been genuinely thrilled — it was the "new" fabric, the one that made the New Look silhouette easier to achieve at home.

The vintage fabric trade still uses the term: a 1950s dress listed on a vintage shop is described as "glistening strawberry glacé crystalline organza," and a vintage piece of sheer fabric on eBay is literally labeled "crystalline." It was a real, named fabric, not just a design motif.

So your mother was sewing with one of the exciting new synthetics of the mid-1950s — a fabric that gave a home-sewn bridesmaid dress the glisten and structure of couture."

"The Love of God" by Bernari Rascas

In November's poetry class we're looking at the theme "nature" which is certainly wide open for interpretation from changing color to turkey to family gatherings. Today I found this one, appropriate for the last month of politics, intrigue and tech disasters. Now I'll have to do some research on both the writer and the translator.

FROM THE PROVENCAL OF BERNARI RASCAS, translated by William Cullen Bryant.

All things that are on earth shall wholly pass away,
Except the love of God, which shall live and last for aye.
The forms of men shall be as they had never been;
The blasted groves shall lose their fresh and tender green;
The birds of the thicket shall end their pleasant song,
And the nightingale shall cease to chant the evening long.
The kine of the pasture shall feel the dart that kills,
And all the fair white flocks shall perish from the hills.
The goat and antlered stag, the wolf and the fox,
The wild boar of the wood, and the chamois of the rocks,
And the strong and fearless bear, in the trodden dust shall lie,
And the dolphin of the sea, and the mighty whale, shall die.
And realms shall be dissolved, and empires be no more,
And they shall bow to death, who ruled from shore to shore;
And the great globe itself, (so the holy writings tell,)
With the rolling firmament, where the starry armies dwell,
Shall melt with fervent heat--they shall all pass away,
Except the love of God, which shall live and last for aye.

Sunset Serenade

"Sunset Serenade" with Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes. Took a break here at The Estates from the crazy Democrats caught in a trap by the Democratic Socialists and Communists trying to steal their party tonight with a movie from 1942 when we were fighting bad guys across the pond instead of in the Swamp.

The crazies among us

For political gain some still trot out the Epstein files when they refused to be upset about the missing children used in sex and labor trafficking during the flood of illegals crossing our borders during the Biden years

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Many seem to be the same ilk who think men should share women's locker rooms. Stealing sports scholarships to give to men that should go to women, well, that's OK.

Threatening death (again) to free speech and truth advocates like Charlie Kirk is just a giggle fest for some female gag-hag podcasters called Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan.

And don't even get me going on the women who swoon over a handsome murderer or line up to cheer on a woman who strangled 3 children but would be horrified if someone shot a rabid dog.

The Left has a problem that goes beyond the Communists and Islamo-fascists currently taking over the Democrat party. It seems to be crazy women and the men who try to be crazy women.

Cries for Help, but no one was listening

The election came and went and neither party ever addressed the fallout of Covid. In Ohio they even elected one of the worst Covid treatment cheerleaders, Amy Acton, as our new governor, laughingly called a public health officer.

 
Who is reading "Cries for Help" which tells the story from V-Safe? The shots millions of us got "did not stop the spread. They did not prevent infection. They were not safe. They left millions injured and countless lives extinguished in the womb." And that began under Trump--and the double down and double speak began under Biden, The fraud and smears began almost immediately with crooks stealing millions from us.

 
"These are the life stories of real people as reported to the CDC through its own vaccine-safety monitoring system called V-safe. These people were not anti-vaxxers; just the opposite. Many were thrilled to step up and do their part.

 
Authorities said the potions were effective (they were not) and safe. Injuries were “very very rare” and far outweighed by the benefits, which is that you would not get and spread Covid, which was never true. It was a horrible lie.

 
Tens of millions stepped up. Then came the migraines, screaming pitches in the ears, rashes on the back and neck, welts on legs, crippling pain in the arms, racing heart and volatile blood pressure, blindness in one eye then two, numbness in the face, often followed by a full body decay that no specialist could explain.

 
The text of the system promised a callback. No one called back. Suffering people were left to languish alone, screaming into the void for help. None ever came. The CDC – on the receiving end of a tsunami of human suffering – tried to keep their stories quiet. They only released them once forced by a federal judge."

The loss of the Democrat Party

I've seen nothing this week that has changed my mind. The Democrat Party (which almost doesn't exist having been taken over by Islamofascists and Communists) is evil and the Republicans are weak (or did I say stupid--can't remember). But Republicans can still tell a man from a woman and Democrats at their core are trying to destroy the country. That hasn't changed. But when abortion is at the core of your values, what should we expect?

Who actually won? Not the Democrats.

People are saying the Republicans lost. If so then the "winners" in addition to being burdened with 40 years as anti-life baby killers, can now proudly carry the banner of anti-Semitic, anti-Israel, anti-science and anti-woman. In addition to the higher health care costs caused by Obama's policies 10 years ago, they now look forward to longer wait times at medical offices, assuming they can even find a doctor (except those removing non-diseased genitals in children). They don't even know what Communists did to agriculture in Russia and China.  They can return to being pro-fraud and don't even care if they are over-taxed so illegals can get rich and they can again feel self-righteous and virtuous to compensate for the self-loathing they feel for their race and ethnicity. They live in denial and are being held hostage by Islamofascists. They are completely ignorant about Communism and OK with shortages as their "leaders" live in the lap of luxury. They seem to love being called white supremacists and fascists and fight to move down on the ladder of excellence, preferring mediocrity and ignorant of history. Nope. They don't look like winners to me. Other than "get Trump" they haven't a single original thought, idea or value. They killed their own party.

Is this about war or affordability or Trump?

Obama was in a foreign war longer than any President in my lifetime. So why do Democrats, Communists and Islamo-fascists in the Democrat party and a large number of weak and uninformed Republicans and Independents think Trump is messing where he shouldn't be? 49 years those other presidents whined and shook a finger and rattled their cages at Iran and its proxies. So, what's the deal? Well, Trump is finally taking those men at their word.

First, they want to do away with Israel from the river to the sea, then western civilization. That means the USA. I hate all wars, whether all the civil wars in Africa that are racial, tribal and ethnic wars to Ukraine and Russia who are virtually the same family in language, religion, traditions and culture whose various monarchies and city states go back to the 800s AD. And even the culture wars going on in our communities and churches, and if we can't clean that up, whose wars should we be dabbling in?

Many voters (and non-voters who unfortunately have a big say in this) have a problem with Trump. Not war, not Gaza, not race. He is turning the post WWI power structure upside down. Who is pulling your strings and why do you think you will be better off under Communism? Surely not the strawman "affordability!" When has it ever improved the world, let alone people like you

Third quarter economy looks good today

The U.S. economy posted its strongest quarter in a year, with real GDP growing 3.4% annually in Q3 2026. In June 2014 Obama's Treasury Secretary said 2% was the "new normal." And with Obama, Biden and Islamofascists chanting free Palestine and stop the war on terrorists in charge of our economy we won't be able to expect growth.

Team Obama: Sorry, America, the 'new Normal' May Be Here to Stay | American Enterprise Institute - AEI

US GDP grew by 3.4 percent in third quarter amid AI investment boom

What is a banned book?

This is what Banned Books looks like folks: "Iranian author and filmmaker Majid Barzegar announced on his Instagram account that his two recent novels, both previously approved for publication and printed by Cheshmeh Publishing, have been seized and banned from further production and distribution." (Iran Wire)

Banning is not that silly self-serving advertisement from the American Library Association in October so a tax supported agency can make you afraid to speak up. ALA doesn't want you to criticize bad books and other media that libraries spend your money on

Amiodarone and the elderly, >75

Summary from 2019: Aust Prescr 2019 Oct 1;42(5):158–162. Amiodarone in the aged - PMC

Amiodarone in the aged

"Amiodarone is widely considered to be the most effective antiarrhythmic drug available.1 It is commonly used to treat atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias. Amiodarone, and its active metabolite desethylamiodarone, have multiple effects on cardiac depolarisation and repolarisation. Although it primarily blocks potassium channels, amiodarone potentiates its effect through all four of the classic Vaughan Williams mechanisms of antiarrhythmic action.

Despite its efficacy, amiodarone is a challenging drug to use in clinical practice due to its prolonged half-life, multiple adverse effects and drug interactions. These adverse effects are particularly problematic for older people who are more susceptible to drug toxicities and who have higher rates of polypharmacy. There is also a lack of information regarding the safety of amiodarone in older people.2 A cardiologist’s opinion is recommended before prescribing. 

[Unfortunately, it was prescribed by a cardiologist.]

Amiodarone can have adverse effects in multiple organ systems including the lungs, heart, liver, thyroid, gut, skin, nerves and eyes.3 Its use is also implicated in a range of drug–drug interactions with commonly prescribed cardiovascular drugs.4"

Also read from 2025: The Safety Profile of Amiodarone Among Older Adults (Age ≥75 Years): A Pharmacovigilance Study from the FDA Data. | Read by QxMD

CONCLUSIONS: In this global postmarketing study, interstitial lung disease and bradycardia were more frequently reported in older adults treated with amiodarone. These findings support vigilant monitoring for these adverse events, particularly in older patients.

In our case, there was "no vigilant monitoring."

Hot Showers and Syncope (fainting)--Risks and Triggers

How It Happens

• Vasodilation: Hot water causes blood vessels in your skin and extremities to widen.

• Blood Pooling: Standing up adds gravity, pulling blood into your lower legs. Combined with heat-induced vasodilation, more blood pools away from your core.

• Drop in Blood Pressure: Less blood returns to your heart and brain, causing a temporary drop in blood pressure and reduced cerebral blood flow, which triggers a faint.

Common Triggers & Risk Factors

• Dehydration: Low fluid volume makes blood pressure drops much more likely.

• Prolonged Standing: Locking your knees or standing still in a hot stall increases lower-limb blood pooling.

• Underlying Conditions: Arrhythmias, low blood pressure (hypotension), or certain medications (like diuretics or sedatives) raise your risk.

• Exertion or Post-Workout: Showering immediately after a heavy workout keeps blood vessels dilated longer.

• Underlying Conditions: Arrhythmias, low blood pressure (hypotension), or certain medications (like diuretics or sedatives) raise your risk.

• The Exertion or Post-Workout: Showering immediately after a workout keeps blood vessels dilated longer.

Prevention and Safety Tips

• Lower the Temperature: Use warm or lukewarm water instead of very hot water.

• Stay Hydrated: Drink a glass of water or an electrolyte drink before stepping in.

• Sit Down: Use a shower stool or chair if you are prone to dizziness.

• Keep Moving: Gently shift your weight and avoid locking your knees while standing.

• Cool Down: Finish your shower with a splash of cooler water.

Who is responsible, Biden or the church organizations?

Between January 1 and December 31, 2023, more than 520,000 people crossed the Darién Gap, nearly double the 248,000 who crossed in 2022 and more than triple the 133,000 who crossed in 2021. These were Biden's invaders, invited with promises of money and safety in sanctuary cities despite our laws. It's a horrible trek especially for women and children.

 
But they couldn't have made their way through that treacherous terrain without the help of Christian organizations many paid by our Protestant and Catholic bureaucracies. The organizations that helped them with food and shelter and even rape kits. 

Among Lutherans alone under the Biden administration, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (now renamed Global Refuge) received over $881 million in U.S. government grants for migrant and refugee assistance, with annual amounts in FY 2021 and FY 2022 exceeding $93 million and $182 million respectively. Obviously not all that was spent in Panama or at our border, but that's a lot of salaries and support services and also the creation of small communities that never existed before. When bus loads disgorged in NYC or Washington DC you may have noticed from media coverage or TikTok reels how well dressed the invaders were--good shoes, clothing appropriate for the season, cell phones, etc. Your own congregations may not be as well fed and shod.

Shocking to me, and I asked Chat-gpt several ways, there is no record of or even if the individual congregations of Lutheran or Catholic of Baptists ever gave any money for these "good works."

https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/darien-gap-we-crossed-jungle-looking-better-future-not-our-lives-end

Bernie Sanders

If you ever thought one man or one vote couldn't make a difference, just think of Bernie Sanders. At one time he was the only "Democratic Socialist" in the Democrat Party--in fact, he didn't even call himself a Democrat, just said he was an Independent who ran for office of President as a Democrat. They really walked all over him and didn't accept him then--chose Obama and Hillary--but look at him now! He refers to the Democrat Party as "my party." It's now loaded with Communists and Islamo-Fascists. Biden led an army of 11 million invaders, and Hillary began stealing health care in Bill's first term, allowing AOC and Bernie to take up the call. While Bernie criticizes billionaires who have actually built something and provided jobs for you the people, he is a millionaire and laughs in your faces as you are blinded by an "affordability" crisis, the price of gasoline, so you ask/vote for more of what brought down Venezuela and Cuba. Yes, one man can make a difference,, and it will take a lot of votes to stop his global reach.

PolitiFact | What Bernie Sanders has said about the Democrats over the years

Transgressive poetry

Today I found a poetry term I didn't understand: "Transgressive poetry: Poetry that deliberately violates social, moral, or aesthetic norms; challenges taboos around language, body, or politics; associated with confessional and avant-garde movements." I suspect it must have been 20th century poets.

I tried to imagine what that would be in the 21st century when half the populace believes it's OK to kill preborn humans so the world could have more bats or jungles (but not more cows or cats); and calling a movie star fat when she is and moves to Ireland is equivalent to rape, but calling the President a Nazi or Fascist is just normal speech; or cutting off the breasts of young girls and loading them up with testosterone is compassionate care, but teaching them about Jesus would be violating her freedom and personhood.

The riots in France--not a student protest

My computer screen opened with the amazing Millau Viaduct in southern France built to relieve the tourist traffic in that scenic area and only recently surpassed by China as an engineering wonder. I wondered how it had survived the unrest. No mention. But that put me into the news at "France24." French media are just as naive and dumb as ours--still say it's a student protest. Dumb as U.S. Democrats.

Covid and the Amish--a flawed study exposed

If you ever wish to poke holes in the "peer reviewed" myth of authenticity and excellence in medical studies, you could use the fact of mixing Mennonites in with the Amish in this so-called research on the Amish and Covid. But there are so many other flaws in this (and others in this report) you really should reconsider getting that shot. Protect the researcher, protect the grant money, but most of all protect the producer of the product.

https://brownstone.org/articles/how-a-flawed-covid-study-tried-and-failed-to-discredit-the-amish/

Welcome to Columbus, Ghanan nurses

Columbus , Ohio, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther has signed a formal agreement with Ghana to create legal, structured pathways for Ghanaian-trained nurses to work in Ohio’s healthcare system
(theheraldghana.com), BTW we have 4 major health systems here--Trinity, OSU, Nationwide Childrens and OhioHealth with 4 or 5 smaller ones.

 If the mayor did it, then it's tax payer dollars. I looked up the price tag for nurses in general for Columbus metro area and it's already $20,000 below the national median whether entry or higher level. Columbus is Democrat run and locked down, top to bottom, and claiming that they will give mid-Ohio a better deal if we just vote Democrat. Counting Ohio State we already have 9 nursing schools here, and supposedly these immigrants are already trained and ready to go. I'm sure they have family for chain migration (U.S. federal law). If housing is tight for low income and non-whites, how does importing Ghanans help the economy and Columbus people hoping to move up through more education and good job opportunities? Can they really do a better, safer job than our home grown whom we've already paid to educate and acculturate?

The Presidents and Iran