Leave
them Alone!
(“The people of Ephraim
have chosen to worship idols. Leave them alone!” Hosea 4:17)
The pencil lay on the desk, just askew of the
yellow legal pad
with scribbled outlines, adjectives unfinished,
and another attempt to open a crack in the common
worship, the vulgar songs that, with their bland truth
became palatable for even the vainest congregant
who even showed up early to be sure all the seats
were well-dusted.
yellow legal pad
with scribbled outlines, adjectives unfinished,
and another attempt to open a crack in the common
worship, the vulgar songs that, with their bland truth
became palatable for even the vainest congregant
who even showed up early to be sure all the seats
were well-dusted.
Down to a nib, with the eraser hardened and slick as
a river-worn pebble, there was little to say; it had all been said.
But it always seemed there must be another way to get through the heads
that misread every Scripture, misinterpreted every face,
that prayed for money and keys misplaced to the gods of
“At Your Service”. The rich knew their god would only make
them richer. The poor hoped their god would take the tithe
the Masters insisted would make them richer too.
a river-worn pebble, there was little to say; it had all been said.
But it always seemed there must be another way to get through the heads
that misread every Scripture, misinterpreted every face,
that prayed for money and keys misplaced to the gods of
“At Your Service”. The rich knew their god would only make
them richer. The poor hoped their god would take the tithe
the Masters insisted would make them richer too.
Barely grippable, beyond the grasp of most ordinary minds,
the last words for the day began to fade away as the wood
over-closed the lead within. There was no safety now,
the eraser would tear a hole with its sharp metal edges;
and someone might read and wonder how one who clasped
the barrel with such passion would run out of resources and stop
mid-thought.
the last words for the day began to fade away as the wood
over-closed the lead within. There was no safety now,
the eraser would tear a hole with its sharp metal edges;
and someone might read and wonder how one who clasped
the barrel with such passion would run out of resources and stop
mid-thought.
But the paragraph ended, though we are not sure forever, and read,
barely, with the yellow paint a shadow of the pale gray letters:
barely, with the yellow paint a shadow of the pale gray letters:
I resign my…hope….…..future…fix furnace…warm beaches…
…..prayer……wonders or not……return……when………
day….sinks…plumbing repaired. Prayer.
…..prayer……wonders or not……return……when………
day….sinks…plumbing repaired. Prayer.
(barely legible)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Feel free to comment, I'm always always interested, and so are others.