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My mother is sad I do not read the Bible.
I can not lie to her,
Or partake of religious ceremonies,
Comply with pointless rites or dogma.

      Lewd Interlude.
My feelings for Carol
Are normally carnal.
The reason for this
Is that I'm usually pissed.
Oh how I wish,
She was my dish!

       As You Were
There is another type of Carol.
A song of praise
To celebrate a man
Who would wash away
The sins of man.
Many people believe that to be true.
Others do not.
So what?
Does it really matter?
It is a season of goodwill
And Carols add to the general clamour
And colour and emotional clatter
And festivities.
Christmas is no longer Christmas, though,
Hijacked as it is by the wish to get rich,
And yet it endures,
Because it seems to fulfil
Some purpose,
Even if it is not part of God's eternal plan.
And Carols too,
Seem to endure.
Jolly, cheerful
Aural wallpaper.
But it goes deeper than that.
It does something for the soul.
The soul? A religious concept?
Your inner being, then.
Your psyche, your essence, your mind.
All I know is Carols make me feel good
And in touch with my God.

Long may it ding-dong merrily on high,
Bringing joy to every woman, man and child.

© Richard Strong, December 2008