Historia ecclesiastica

I'm going to guess that you haven't shaved the moustache. So, I'll guess that the

A wonderful poem for ruminating upon. As a man who is hirsute both in visage and, alas, in heart, I have much to think upon. :-)

Anonymous:

Your guess is correct. The key word in the title "mortification" indicates more is afoot here than facial here, as Tom sees.

Michael.

Facial hair, cat's fur... do I detect a theme here?
Well, if your pendulum ever swings to the other extreme, perhaps you'll entertain us with a few lines about David's smooth stones, plucked from the stream, hard boiled eggs or Wm. Carey's cranial paucity!

I don't get why my comments get rejected!

Trish:

Blogger was switching to a new style when you submitted it and it gave me a problem when I tried to publish your comment. I couldn't figure out how to get it published. Please re-submit. I apologize.

Michael.

Do I hear echoes of Luther?

"Original sin is in us, like the beard. We are shaved today and look clean, and have a smooth chin; tomorrow our beard has grown again, nor does it cease growing while we remain on earth."

Paul:

Exactly!

Michael.

Hello! It's amazing to find that you have a blog!

Reading your poem as an English student, I must admire the remarkable alliteration - especially in "bristle" and "whisker". The 's' sound echoed further on in "lattice", "roughnesses" and "ease" really brings this small poem together.

But of course, the last line, really threw me for a loop - and showed that there was a whole level of meaning, which I wasn't picking up on. Thanks to "kerux" for that suggested interpretation!

Sadly, for lack of time, I've not been able to keep up any sort of historical Christian literature reading.

At any rate, I'm keeping an eye on this blog. I hope you find the time to relax and write for the fun of it.

Say hello to Mrs. Haykin and Victoria for me!

Ja! Christina V.

Dear Christina:

Good to hear from you. Thanks for your comments. Warm regards to all of your family, especially your Mom and Dad. Press on with those English studies!

Michael.

"Beard Shaving and the Common Use of the Razor; an Unnatural, Irrational, Unmanly, Ungodly and Fatal Fashion among Christians"
"Shaving , a break of the Sabbath and a Hindrance to the Spread of the Gospel' - 19th century book titles quoted in "My Bearded Friend", Keith Stewart

Of the seven dwarves only Dopey had a shaven face This should tell us something about the custom of shaving. ~Tom Robbins, Skinny Legs and All (1990)

He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man.
William Shakespeare. Much Ado about Nothing. Act ii. Sc. 1.

I direct you to my blog for what a real man can do.

But I am kind to you in my January book reviews which is on amazon.co.uk too.