Magdalene and Hart Crane

There has been a lot of speculation about Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ. For some reason we so often forget that Jesus was both God and Man, according to Catholic theology. He is always perfect like God. I say Jesus has to answer to the biological imperative just like every other living human being. If he didn't then the idea of the dual nature of Jesus may be an untruth. Rather than argue about this I want to think about Magdalene the way I always do....in terms of the poetry of Hart Crane.

Southern Cross

I wanted you, nameless Woman of the South,
No wraith, but utterly--as still more alone
The Southern Cross takes night
And lifts her girdles from her, one by one--
High, Cool,

wide from the slowly smoldering fire
Of lower heavens,--

vaporous scars!

Eve! Magdalene!

or Mary, you?

Whatever call--falls vainly on the wave.
O simian Venus, homeless Eve,
Unwedded, stumbling gardenless to grieve
Windswept guitars on lonely decks forever;
Finally to answer all within one grave!

And this long wake of phosphor,

iridescent
Furrow of all our travel--trailed derision!
Eyes crumble at its last kiss. Its long-drawn spell
Incites a yell. Slid on that backward vision
The mind is churned to spittle, whispering hell.

I wanted you...the embers of the Cross
Climbed by aslant and hubbling aromatically.
It is blood to remember; it is fire
To stammer back...It is
God--your namelessness. And the wash--

All night the water combed you with black
Insolence. You crept out simmering, accomplished.
Water rattled that tinging coil, your

Rehearsed hair--docile, alas, from many arms.
Yes, Eve--wraith of my unloved seed!

The Cross, a phantom, buckled--dropped below the dawn.
Light drowned the lithic trillions of your spawn.

--Hart Crane