Sunday, April 12, 2009

Power and Glory

In one of my favorite lines in recorded music, Andrew Lloyd Webber in Jesus Christ Superstar paraphrases this Palm Sunday conversation, with Simon (Peter) telling Jesus that he has the crowd in the palm of his hand, and advises "throw in a touch of hate for Rome" and "we will have the power and the glory, forever and ever and ever." To which Jesus replies (appropriately, since Simon seems only to provide the human perspective for Jesus to correct) "Not you, Simon, nor the fifty thousand, nor the Jews, nor the Twelve, nor Jerusalem itself / have any idea what Power is / have any idea what Glory is - / have any idea at all; / have any idea at all."

After being around tops both new and old, as well as Doms and Dommes who scream and slash - not just guys who tell you how dominant they are, when not very much of that has you starting to suspect the opposite... and not even just scene people, but everyone who wants to dictate your behavior and thinks that makes them powerful - I wonder if "the fifty thousand" needs about two thousand years of updating.

In her autobiography (volume one) Dances With Werewolves, Niki Flynn talks about a brief stint at a dungeon where she's pressed into service as a Domme and tops this guy who, for reasons she explains, totally gets off on being given a wedgie (ohhhh-kay...). And though I don't have the book in front of me, she says something like "he had just handed me the keys to his sexuality."

Now that's power... being trusted with the intimate knowledge and have the understanding of someone to have them panting with a few well-chosen words or a few well-placed nibbles... so you can have your "call me Sir" and "you're two minutes late" and fifty play partners in fifty days...

Am I the snake inside your garden
The sugar in your tea
The knock upon your back door
The twist that turns your key?

The twist that turns your key - that's enough for me...

Now admittedly it may not the Power and the Glory, Forever and Ever...

(and the lyrics are by Melissa Etheridge)