The Poem
marvelous likeness
created the fool
no God omnipotent
a being who maketh Laws
and bindeth
was
and is
and will be
mercy for none
attitude a pillar
above the sun
above the heavens
the Lord my son
walk in my keep
glory lieth
time doeth good
gospel is kindling
by the mouth written
in the cloud filled
with days I could rejoice
but none pondered my heartmy days
Poet’s Notes and Questions for Discussion
The above erasure poem was composed using a page from Joseph Smith’s 1832 account of his first vision. It is best understood as an original poem, rather than an adaptation of Joseph’s writing. The original document is available through The Joseph Smith Papers project. In the text version above, I have standardized spelling of certain words like “marvelous.”
Alright, W&T readers! What is your reaction to the above poem? How does it make you feel, compared or contrasted with how the original document makes you feel? Why do you suppose it sparked whatever reaction you had? Please comment below.
As much as possible, resist the urge to respond to the original document or its religious/theological implications. There are posts elsewhere dedicated to such discussions. Here, I invite you to consider the poem and what about it does, or does not, work for you personally. Thanks for reading!
Wheat & Tares 
Laconic.
“gospel is kindling” reminds me of this saying of Jesus from the Gospel of Thomas:
Jesus said, “I have cast fire upon the world, and see, I am guarding it until it blazes.“
Dave B, I have not yet read the Gospel of Thomas, but this quote is great, visual and evocative. It makes me want to read the whole work. Sounds like good material for prose analysis and erasure poetry