Cruel Christians

I wish it were new, these evangelicals persuading

Uganda to make homnosexuality a capital crime

And wishing they could do so in their own nation,

But it’s an old story.  Emperor Justinian had built

A gigantic metal bowl to hold homosexuals for

Slow roasting, an entertaining form of warning.

Justinian said, “Everybody knows homosexuals

Cause earthquakes.”  The shakes common there

Construed God’s wrath for abominable behavior.

It’s not just LGB targets.  Extreme righteousness

Assumes its self the bar to reach, the par to make,

As Calvin’s chosen, God’s elect they must believe.

A survivor of a small Southern town in Jim Crow,

A church on every other corner, one learned life

Seeing with one eye, hearing with one ear and

Seldom speaking with candor.  In fact white lies

Were just social conversation, and self-defense

Might require a degree of mendacity virtuosity.

Lynch parties burned crosses on Saturday night,

But attended services Sunday morning and night.

Some also made prayer meeting on Wednesday.

But then God said nothing against slavery as

Many preachers in Baptist churches pointed out

In the late 1950’s and 1960’s when trouble began.

Cruel Christians seem to prefer the angry spirit

In the Old Testament, so jealous, hard to please,

To the tolerant young friend of the underdog.

Imagining the Opposite

In a work life one endures many bosses.

I count myself lucky to have had one

For whom I had unreserved respect,

From whom I learned plenty because

He knew so much about many subjects.

He mastered details of many disciplines

In our complicated, technical industry

So one could learn as much as one's

Ambition required or curiosity tolerated.

He observed and rewarded one’s efforts.

Complete competences of technicalities

Must be balanced with understanding

The mysteries of managing people with

Various quirks, different gifts, inabilities

And earning their desire to follow you.

Considering what one wants in a national

Leader.  I would want a reader, a scholar,

Quite the least likely type to get the job,

But an affable fellow or woman who made

Friends easily, quickly recognized enemies.

Whose thoughts sought the long view and

Kept short term effects in perspective,

Not greatly concerned with being first,

Sensitive to injuring others needlessly

Because no nation needs more enemies.

One who knew a lot of history, traveled,

Spoke at least one other language well

Enough to get around, who could play

A musical instrument, who had learned

From ample mistakes a life can’t avoid.

BROMANCES

Maybe Donald doesn’t give a damn about pictures

Of him and a Russian model in a Moscow hotel.

After Stormy Daniels who would be surprised?

Perhaps Melania fulfills their deal by maintaining

Her figure to keep an unlimited wardrobe budget.

But Donald’s envy of Vladimir’s absolute power

Can be smelled, can be felt in the air, and seen

Despite Donald’s attitude of innocent informality

In their televised couplings.  Vladimir can simply

Off his critics, nosey journaists and nervy rivals.

Vladimir’s clearly using Trump, but who’s using

Whom in the Trump and Musk alliance?  Both?

Trump has the official throne, but Musk stands

Not behind but at Trump’s right ear whispering

And taking flack for executing federal workers.

Musk says computer games taught him empathy

Was no asset.  Trump’s teacher in ruthlessness

Was his father, a slum landlord who demonstrated

The demeanor of real superiority for an eager pupil

In the high stakes of never losing, always winning.