Today I took a turn down a dark alleyway
It was dark and grey and reeked of filth and decay
Down at the end I found an entrance to a church
Inside, a strange guttural voice could be heard
The door creaked shut as I moved to a front row pew
From there I had an unobstructed view
I was barely aware of others in my periphery
As I listened to this minister of misery
I listened to this creature speak for far too long
I got up and left as the choir broke into song
In the rain I hunched to a street corner
Where I encountered another torture
Through a shop window was this man in a box
Smugly rambling on in a rant that never stops
With the same old words and obvious polarity
But yet I stayed and heard this herald of heresy
I broke my daze and looked along the littered street
I watched eyeless strangers as the rain turned to sleet
I turned back to the television to hear more absurdity
On the screen now was the leader of lunacy.
This was a path I needn’t have taken
I had a choice to walk any street — to any destination
I could have walked through the park — or to a café
But, again — for some reason — I chose the alleyway
JArtB
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2021