Santiago Matamoros

Stained with blood?
A hero of saintly stature
Proud on white steed
With fallen foes beneath

A fiction maybe
Of times when saints
Held sway over mortal men
And the peasant hoped
For a peace that was promised
In return for prayer
Obedience and worship

A mythology created
One hero of the past
Like so many others
Created like a Marvel character
Able to achieve the impossible
But giving the people what they need

In similar vein
Batman, Superman, Ironman
Give the people what they need
Our faith has changed
Our heroes remain works of fiction
But our belief in the silver screen is strong

But never underestimate
The power of Santiago Matamoros
That image from the past
Still stirs the fires of human conflict
Today's hate for another's beliefs
Is born out of ancient images
Enduring ideologies that still contest
Will sadly never learn
To forgive and forget

Martin Addison – 20/04/2021

If I had a £1 for everytime someone has laid the worlds troubles at the door of its religions, I would be a rich man! I look not to create offense with this poem, but to illustrate how the imagery of the past creates foment. My hope is that people of all religions (including atheism, etc…) will perhaps look beyond the past to formulate a way to live in harmony together. I wish peace to you all 🙂