Notes About The Poem

The Offering Plate

Men of the cloth they'd be known to be.
One of Christian taught values.
One of Judeo-Christian taught values.
One of Judeo taught values.
They are inside a place of worship.
They are together as one but not of one accord.
They have a duty to perform.
They came together to see whose task is best.
The task is the equitable divide of the offering plate.
What part goes to the Lord who represents His House of Worship.
What part goes to those in His service, being the three of them.
Christian says, "I will go to the middle of the sanctuary...
...where I will draw a straight line, toss the offering into the air...
...whatever falls to the right be the Lord's and the left be for us."
They talk not in one accord, until...
Judeo-Christian says, "I will go to the middle of the sanctuary...
...where I will draw a circle, toss the offering into the air...
...whatever falls into the circle be the Lord's and falls out be for us."
They talk not in one accord, until...
Judeo takes the other two outside of the sanctuary and says,
"This is what I will do, I will toss the offering into the air...
...whatever the Lord catches, is for the Lord, and...
...whatever falls to the ground be for us.
Men of the cloth are of one accord.


*I wrote this earlier in my life circa unknown, but in the fall of 1976 I shared it with my fellow co-worker and it was submitted by him, unbeknownst to me, to a nationally recognized magazine. After a check submittal I received, I then signed a release, it appeared in their Spring 1977 publication, making this my first of several of my works to appear thereafter.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2019

Poem

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Krutsinger Avatar
June 9, 2019 at 11:51 PM
Uh-oh. You have nailed some people who probably are not even wise enough to recognize themselves. No harm done I guess.
Kelii Kekaula Avatar
June 10, 2019 at 12:25 AM
I wrote this after a heart-to-heart with pious mom who said that sometimes it's not just goody-two-shoes there all the time--following the arrest in the bigger city of Honolulu Caren, Aloha William
Pandit Avatar
June 8, 2019 at 7:25 AM
What a meaningful poem this is! That ending is superb..clever write, William.
Kelii Kekaula Avatar
June 8, 2019 at 9:16 AM
My many appreciative thanks Vijay, Aloha William
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