False Gods

by Mike Turner / January 8th, 2023

Let us laud and proclaim our Higher Power
Lord
Master
Deliverer 
As the One who has chosen us
Shunning those of other beliefs

Worshipping at the alter of Opportunity
Prosperity
Abundance
Success
Claiming advantages
While denying them to others

Let us bow down before our false gods:
Power 
Wealth
Prestige 
Any thing we pursue
As an end in itself

Doing so in the name of “freedom”
Individuality
Rights
Destiny
While in reality vouchsafing Privilege 
Hate, Oppression and Exclusion

For to worship such empty deities
Is to sacrifice the very things
We claim to hold most sacred

Let us instead place our faith and trust
Not in these false spirits
But rather in their antithesis:

These being acts of Charity
Compassion
Inclusion
Equal Justice
Embodying the better angels of Humanity
In the world around us

Mike Turner is a retired member of the U.S. Government’s Senior Executive Service. He served a 27-year career as a law enforcement professional in the Departments of Defense, Treasury, Homeland Security and Commerce. In retirement, Turner has had a second career as an award-winning songwriter and poet. His poems have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including Dissident Voice. He can be contacted at www.MikeTurnerSongwriter.com. Read other articles by Mike.

This article was posted on Sunday, January 8th, 2023 at 8:00am and is filed under Poetry.