By Jen Hunt
After reading the chapter on Mary Magdalen from "Vindicating the Vixens"
Mary, Mary, quite contrary
To what I had been told
You were not a minor player
On the outskirts of God's fold
Nor were you the foot-anointer
Or the sister of one raised
A sleazy woman of the night
Or the mom of John and James
(Though these and countless others
Have at one time shared your name)
Mary, Mary burdened
By an inner devilish throng
Perhaps you knew depression
Or sickness deep and long
Once seven demons lighter
Your soul could not forget--
Fully freed and fortuned
Firmly in the Healer's debt
Mary, Mary Patron
From Magdalen, rich fishing center
Well-off enough to fund Christ
And the Twelve together
Mary, Mary Student
Front-row hearer of Christ’s words
How singularly even
Were his seminary floors!
You who followed after Jesus
I’ll sit a spell by you to learn
What it is to lighten, to give freely
And to yearn
Mary, Mary Witness
As Jesus breathed his last
Heard him cry Eloi!
Earth shaking, stood fast
Mary, Mary Worshipper
Brought spices rare and sweet
Dialogued with angels
Clasped God’s resurrected feet
Mary, Mary Sent One
First to see the risen Lord
Called to tell the others
Yet offhandedly ignored
How often blurred, your visage
Since Pope Gregory's time
One mis-stroke after another
Muddying the lines
You who once thought Christ a gardener
Surely will forgive
The poor portrait some have painted
Of the life you really lived
Apostle to the apostles
Too often pigeonholed
Mary, Mary Magdalen
My new mentor from of old
