MOSQUE

poetry

MOSQUE;

GANDHI

WHEN I WAS A YOUNG

CATHOLIC

SEMINARIAN

THE MISSIONARIES

IN THE SOUTH

WOULD HAVE TO PURCHASE

CHURCH LAND

UNDER ALIASES

THE SOUTHERNERS

DIDN’T WANT

CATHOLIC CHURCHES

IN THE NORTH

IT WAS NO BETTER

I COULDN’T JOIN A BOY SCOUT TROOP

BECAUSE IT WAS IN A PROTESTANT CHURCH

IF THERE WAS ANY INTERFAITH DIALOGUE

IT WAS USUALLY DONE WITH SNARES

ONE WOULD HOPE

THAT AFTER WAR AFTER WAR

TO PROTECT DEMOCRACY

WE’D ACT OUT OF OUR BELIEFS

OR WAS THERE SACRIFICE FUTILE

THEY SAY

YOU CAN’T BUILD CHURCHES OVER THERE

THAT’S TRUE

BUT THIS IS AMERICA

RELIGION IS FREE

TO BE OBSERVED

OR IGNORED

BUT NOT PROHIBITED

HERE

IF WE SAY THIS IS A CHRISTIAN NATION

WHERE IS OUR CHRISTIAN ACTION

IF WE ACT LIKE OUR ENEMIES

WHY ARE WE ANY BETTER

AS A CHRISTIAN NATION

WE HAVE NO DARK AGES

BUT MANY DARK PAGES

OUR NATION

SHOULD BE SEEN

AS ACTING ON OUR BELIEFS

NOT AS A NATION

THAT EXUDES HATE

FOR THE STRANGER

FRANK A VOLLMER

Leave a comment