POOR PASTOR'S PRAYER Options

[Alan]

POOR PASTOR'S PRAYER
"Religious people must do more than offer prayers if the world
is to become a better place to live" - The Dalai Lama

The world is bad, so I am off
to mind that which I own.
Not my responsibility
the foul seeds man has sown.

Behind my mental, metal walls,
and large padlock with key,
I'll pray and hope and worry some
that nothing will touch me.

Near neighbour's gone, they came for him;
I wonder what he's done ?
No matter, that is his look-out,
pass me another bun.

No buns, you say, well, what the heck,
the baker's taken too ?
That neighbour's trade was baking bread ?
Well, that I never knew.

So get more locks, and mouth more prayers,
the world's an evil place.
A poor pastor* can have no peace,
a national disgrace.

Alan McAlpine Douglas

*http://www.hoboes.com/html/FireBlade/Politics/niemoller.shtml
Pastor Martin Niemoller was someone who did far more than pray.
This poem means to describe his early attitudes.

He wrote this in 1945 :

First they came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.

[Eisa]

"Religious people must do more than offer prayers if the world
is to become a better place to live" - The Dalai Lama

The sentiments here are so true Alan and brings to mind when my mother developed Alzheimer's. She used to be a very popular Church member until then, but gradually everyone stopped calling to see her - including the Pastor! They regularly prayed for her in church, but it was their company she needed. They had to pass her house to go to Church. She couldn't understand why they had abandoned her and their prayers meant nothing!

This is nicely written and gets your point across well.

I like this line the description of these lines

Behind my mental, metal walls,
and large padlock with key,


mouth more prayers, is very apt.

On first read I can see noting to change - I'll come back again!

Snow