Thursday, July 11, 2024

Their Ephemeral Temples Look Much the Same - poem

 

Lawrence Hall, HSG

Mhall46184@aol.com

 

Their Ephemeral Temples Look Much the Same

 

Their ephemeral temples look much the same

In a semi-circle the faithful sit or stand

And turn their eager faces to an altar flood-lit

To be magicked by their leaders and gods

 

They wave their arms in ecstasy and awe

As lantern-slides of flags and martyred heroes

Ripple as electronic waves beamed into their eyes

Commanding free obedience through spontaneous scripts

 

At dawn

 

Contractors will tear away the plywood and paint

Take down the plastic statues and columns

The recordings of programmed emotions

And heave them into the beds of rented trucks

 

Preaching or politics, or some other game:

Their ephemeral temples look much the same

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