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By Jack Joseph Smith

The Bird And The Worm The difference Betweem Catholic and Zem Is the catholic: falls seperate One knee at a time: While the zem goes dowm Two at the same time And while rising The catholic may brace Making a slant is alright While the zen must rise alone Thus the cross and the praying Mantis There the bird Here the worm

Original Scan

AI Interpretation

GPT

Catholic and Zen practice are contrasted through kneeling, rising, slant, insect prayer, bird, and worm, turning bodily posture into a compact religious philosophy.

The humor helps here. The poem is odd and playful, but the comparison is still attentive to how bodies enact belief.

Claude

The Bird And The Worm. Difference between Catholic and Zen: the Catholic falls separate, one knee at a time; the zen goes down two at the same time. While rising the Catholic may brace — a slant is alright; the zen must rise alone. Thus the cross and the praying mantis. The bird. The worm.