Visiting Bruges with Kathleen McGowan was a truly inspiring experience…

In the Notre Dame of Bruges we found this mysterious painting by Quellinus. Usually the infant Jesus places a ring on the finger of Saint Catherine, but here it’s a grown up Jesus and on his side seems to be Mary Magdalene. But that hardly comes unexpected for someone who read Kathleen McGowan’s “The Expected One” or “The Book of Love”…

This can’t be:

so much of me in you

and you in me and yet

it’s true.

You gave me eyes

to see the world differently

and ears to hear the mystery

of Silence.

You opened the gates

and I came in

and now you’re carrying me

under your skin.

And no, this

can’t be true -

but it is.

Copyright by embee, used with permission

More Poetry by Patrick Bernauw:

Memoirs of Lord Halloween

Shell Shocked Isabel Shrapnel

Related Article:

The Magdalene Line of Kathleen McGowan

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Comments (11)
  • Lucas DiĆ© on May 23, 2009

    This painting has puzzled me as a boy when in Brugge …

    Lovely poem!

  • clay hurtubise on May 23, 2009

    Very nice!
    Thanks,
    Clay

  • goodselfme on May 23, 2009

    I am glad to be back and read your well penned pieces. TX

  • C Jordan on May 24, 2009

    Weel written Patrick

  • R J Evans on May 24, 2009

    Interesting and intriguing

  • Danielle on Jun 7, 2009

    Sorry, I need to dissapoint you,but this is not Mary Magdalene, but the Saint Catherine, depicted in relation to one of her mystical visions. Why this is so difficult to understand, and why we need to smuggle Mary Magdalene into it? (And St.Catherine was not the only one who had the mystical marriage experience. Guys, please research art history, and the history of the saints before making such claims. I know, Mary Magdalene is all rage now, very fashionable, but don\’t falsify history of other saint in her name, as the other saint has her own precious legacy. Such sensationalistic approprations as the above has just only a gossip value.Which means is invented, and going against the painter\’s, real authors intent.Should we not respect this? Is the painter who intended this scene as depicting St Catherine not important enough, but he needs to yield the fantasy of today\’s people and their confabulations? How much we really value art history and the authors of art? Why we need to bend the truth to our own excitement? Sorry, but this is tabloid-like art history, nothing more.

  • Danielle on Jun 7, 2009

    PS
    And it is grown Jesus who puts the ring on St Catherine’s finger,as he was the groom in her vision, not the boyish Jesus. Child Jesus would be very, very unusual, and show that the painter didn’t know the subject.Again, research art history please.

  • Danielle on Jun 7, 2009

    Sorry if I was sounding too harsh.We don’t see here Madonna with child, so why this is unusual? Virgin is also depicted as Ecclesia, meaning church, not always mother. But I understand that things maybe confusing for people without art history background, and again, sorry if I sounded too harsh.

  • mamilee24 on Jan 13, 2010

    Very nice. I didn’t know Patrick Bernauw is an excellent poet too :D

  • Mary Raynah Cagulada on Jun 22, 2010

    wow! Jesus! so, sorry to say this to you Jesus! I HATE YOU you are such a pathetic person! you betrayed me! your dishonest with me your unfaithful to me! how come the other saints esp. girls you’ve loved them, they even get married to you through your mysterious way!. and me how about me. you know i waited for you since childhood to be my one and only love! i promised to myself not have any relationship with the other guy until now and yet its so useless for me.

  • RS Wing on Jun 27, 2010

    Well, I really enjoyed the poem and painting’s, but I must say, the above comments are out of line and quite rude. I guess everyones entitled to their own opinions, just don’t deface the work of the author in the process. Great work, Patrick.

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