Testament of Canticles
A testament of canticles or a cantonment of testicles?
The former is of the holy world, the latter is mere impertinence
Which might describe masculine bodily receptacles
Or, possibly, a treatment for incontinence
Oh, the joys of biblical quotations!
And all those memorable, unintelligible citations
Like: “We are gathered here today as one…”
With those nice people, ever-ringing bells
To ensure that heathens stop worshipping the sun
And to guard against the evil smells
Emanating from the unwashed, unholy scum
Who turn to scripture only when their time has come
But, I pray, have faith in some unbelievers
The many who yearn for learning and proof
The seekers of knowledge – the science retrievers
And the doubters, who, when asked, glance up to the roof
As if to say “God only knows…
Why we pursue traditions that none of us chose”
For we were all born without unfounded belief
Yet assailed by it from our first thinking days
And our infantile education provides little relief
Because teachers have developed their own special ways
Of fabricating faith from fallacy
And providing “balance” in the face of apostasy
For none can prove the inexistence of the inexistent
Nor that the contrary can be true
The ardent believer is, by definition, resistant
To the logic of the rationalist – be he me or you
But, at least, we should all agree to call ‘canticles’ songs
Before pretending to rewrite all our worldly wrongs