Multiplying Pain

In the house that raised me
The Bible was quoted
but with none of pietist intent
that Biblical phrases
were meant to come with.

But phrases from the good book
did form part of our daily bread.

The phrase that got used most often
was 'Go forth and multiply',
which became the acceptable way
of saying 'Fuck off' to what or who
we wanted not to confound us,
in the moment the phrase was said.  

It was our way of getting around
the collective self censorship
of not being allowed to swear
and being disallowed our anger.
It was meant to be a way out of despair.

The house was like a prison cell;
it was too small a space
for the people it had to contain
to allow them to have a row,
and for the ensuing anger
to be disbursed fast enough
to restore the domestic calm
for the benefit of those
unconcerned by the matter. 

Little did I think back then
that in saying 'Go forth and multiply'
that what we were actually saying
in the moment to the causes of our ire
was 'Pain; multiply yourself somewhere else.'
as if the world was made to be place of pain.

But the unawareness of depression is like that.