PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

This is not an original hypothesis of mine, but is based upon Frank Viola's speculation on p. 160 of his book, The Untold Story.  In my opinion, however, Viola stops short of explaining the mechanism by which the vocabulary of the Pastoral Epistles differs from that of the earlier Pauline epistles.  That mechanism, as the poem suggests, is Luke's transcription from memory rather than at direct dictation, which had been the Apostle's customary method of composition.

The hypothesis that the slave Onesimus, prominent in Paul's letter to Philemon, collected the Pauline letters is not original with me.  I heard of it decades ago, and cannot now cite the source (but I will gladly cite so if someone will point me back to it).  

I cannot now cite where I read that, in an attempt to remove Anne from his brother's grasp, Richard had Anne hidden in a butcher shop, disguised as a boy.  It may even be an urban legend; but if it is fictive, I will be happy to cite its source if someone will disclose it to me.

The poem was also inspired by one of Cavafy's poems, "One Of Their Gods."