The Preacher's Lie



With pupils fixed on the collection plate,
 Sweat streaming down a wretched face,
And lethally distended neck veins,
He appealed to the sympathy of his victims,
 “God wants us all to be rich!” he cried.
“Cast your bread upon the waters!” someone implored;
Maybe an accomplice, a friend or a fool.
“Amen!” shrieked a woman, lavishly dressed,
As she stutters like an old engine and crumbles to the floor.

Is it I alone who have seen this act,
The false prophet, the woman, and the fool,
All part of a ridiculous plot?
It's just another tale from the swindler’s script.
He echoes again the fib from his lips:
“God wants us all to be rich!”
Did Jesus wear Armani suits and ties,
And sandals made from crocodiles’ hide?
The crowd applauded the exaggerated stunt,
 As he frolics, shivers and growls,
Like someone who’s drunk.
Remember the slogan that says: “In God we trust?”
Preserve this notion:
The poor will always be with us.
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Submitted on May 01, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

50 sec read
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Quick analysis:

Scheme XXXXAXBXX XBXXXXXAXXXXXX
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 928
Words 168
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 9, 14

Earle Francis Brown

I was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica. I was told that I can write, so I wrote and continues to write. I am currently living in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. I enjoy reading "real" poetry. My favorite books are the Pslams, Proverbs and Songs of Solomon.Poetry is not just vocabulary, and use of metaphors and formats. Don't be tricked. Poetry should speak life. I love a poem that tells a story. The most memorable poems are the ones that tell someone's story. I don't care about ratings; the truth is always hated. People are people where-ever we go. more…

All Earle Francis Brown poems | Earle Francis Brown Books

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