"Why do you rebel?"
Asked the artist of the bruise
"Your head is sick, your heart faint
Your skin is slick with wounds"
Yet in the same breath
"I do not delight in lambs' blood"
Yet he likens kin to lambs
And killed both in the flood
But "thou shalt not kill"
Declares he who killed the most
"My sword devours 'til sated"
Saith the Lord of Hosts
"For I am sorry
About all of your punishments"
There's no forgiveness in me
My lord, I'm far beyond spent
What's wrong with them Americuns
forever pointing fingers
always pointing guns
searching for someone to blame
never changes
stays the same
with 'Love thy neighbour,'
and 'Thou shalt not kill,'
religious to the core
hypocrites to boot
and what's more
shooting people children too
wondering why innocent die
and yet they haven't got a clue
For everyday, did I dare to dream,
Of love, of life, of soulful things,
Where blissful words had made serene,
The hearts of all, both far and wide,
Afraid to harm for many had died,
Yet, for man, finds, less peace inside,
A nightmare, made real, blazing across distant skies.
What reason, be made for death abroad, where men and women lay claim, in name, of this one and most silent God?
Did he not say, "Thou shalt not kill?"
Did he slip or stutter, did he mis-pronounce?
Did he not say "love each other?" And what other, had he ever renounced?
No one less, no one more, no one wins in senseless wars,
Scores left wounded, by unbias swords, all for God, made silent, amongst these most spiteful hordes.
For all who walked, upon this, his path, not fear, nor anger, nor wrath or hate,
Only peace unwavering, and undying faith.
For all our books, our words and songs, can we still not tell, right from wrong?
Today, Christian believers still
Reject one of God's commandments,
As to God's words, "Thou shalt not kill."
No religion sanctions war, but
Sins of omission are still sins;
God's will isn't open to debate.
Religious leaders aren't good at
Edifying God's written will.
Shamefully, many willingly
Sully the meaning of God's words.
Interpreting God's commandments,
Oft justifies Man's transgressions.
No one can override what God
States is a sin; His words are clear.
Bless me Father, for I have sinned.
I just shot my Brother down.
It's weighing heavy on my heart,
I think it's time I'm leaving town.
I know it says, Thou Shalt Not Kill,
I did the opposite instead.
But he tried to steal my woman,
So I shot him in the head.
Oh Father please, help me now,
And what should my penance be?
Is it too late to save my soul?
I ask you now on bended knee.
I can see the answer in your eyes,
Since nothing more can be said.
I'll just have to keep on running,
Until the police shoot me dead.
He was worth more dead than alive
Told himself they’d survive
He didn’t think it was sin
To violate one of the Top Ten
Thou shalt not kill included himself
It was in the dusty Bible there on the shelf
With an empty heart and lost soul
Life had become out of control
Last ditch effort to ease the pain
He put a bullet in his brain
Now his heart doesn’t beat
But his spirit feels the heat
Envision continuous raging fires
Feel the smoke burn your eyes
Smoldering sulphur in your nose
Flaming furnace without a hose
Before you pull the trigger or ring the bell
Imagine an eternity spent in HELL
When the light looks dim at the end on the tunnel
GOD is the one to get you out of trouble!!!
Poets of convenience
reality to sway
A stain that lasts forever
excuses not parlayed
“Thou Shalt Not Kill” long spoken
ancient law upon the land
Religious, secular, or more’ bound
the truth has one command
A billion screaming babies
by curettes scraped away
As smug self-righteous killers
demand to have their way
The pathway to eternity
lined with voices put to death
“Thou Shalt Not Kill” their epitaph
—damning your last breath
(St. Josephs University: September, 1972)
Evil deeds now seen,
cast deep underground.
Anguishing screams,
now heard all around.
Lament doth bring,
more shame to behold.
Thou shalt not kill,
beware of what's been told.
Many will judge,
and make lite of their sin.
But God knows all,
he can see where you've been.
You cannot hide,
nor can you deceive.
It will make no difference,
in what you believe.
Love thy children,
sin against them do not.
For if you do,
you've already been caught.
There's one special place,
set aside for evil's desire.
Eternal damnation,
the endless hellfire.
What amazes me
with all the religions
Christian Muslim and Hebrew
you all believe in the same God
All the cults
and all of the behaviours
throughout history
Your God came down
To the mountain
and personally wrote
the ten commandments
Thou shalt not kill
How is it that Catholics
have killed Protestant
Protestant has killed Catholic
history is riddled with violence
today's world is
riddled with violence
they say "we are better than you,
so we have a right to kill you"
Yet surely if God took the time
to write personally
the ten commandments
do the not apply
To all of your religions,
thou shalt not kill
Christian cults started up
people in texas brought guns
The Authorities moved in
we all know the history
A massive group of Christians
committed suicide
Killing themselves
If the leaders of your religion
want you to kill yourself
or somebody else
shouldn't you ask
what happened to
Thou shalt not kill
written by God himself
If every man
refused to pick up a gun
there would be no more wars
following the path of peace
Is a decision
you should make
within yourself
God himself wrote the words
In a lonely garden there' s a shrine
where upon a rough hewn stone is writ:
“GOD IS LOVE.”
The devoted supplicants make wail,
water the flowers, feed with crumbs
the sacramental dove.
A priest, decrepit, feeds the holy fire,
rakes the embers of the holy hearth.
Heaven is grey above.
Daily he laments in doleful orison,
unbinds the holy scroll and reads:
“Thou shalt not kill.”
His sentence is short and simple,
without exceptions and parentheses,
declaring God’s will.
though many about have forsaken
Love’s fane, have fallen prostrate
before a god of ill.
And this god has three faces,
one wreathed in pleasure’s smiles,
when the cup is full.,
a brazen face of terror
wrought in hatred’ fire,
And a skull.
There is a war on earth against God
attacking the very corner stones within pillars of belief
Shepherd when the stars of doom eclipse red faced
cornered facts bleeding innocent the silent screams tremble
Unheard angels filtering through the moonlight
kneeling souls pray for His dire mercy
To make this world right again filled with peace
Condemn the guilty as wolves they are killing sheep
Ripping little ones to pieces sacrificed at the pagan temple
where the purity of love has been tarnished ugly by these loveless strays
Savages impotent against the powers of nature
prostrating the cringing submission of a slave
Begging blind articles of self praise enslaved ideas removing independence
from true facts not acknowledged for their value underneath respect
Despite its wanton infliction of pain apes amongst rats devouring
democratic views under heaven's command thou shalt not kill
She is a beautiful Sunday school teacher,
and for children a mild mannered preacher;
the commandments her special to feature;
To explain,
a commandment that honours father; mother,
then asks her class “do you know of another,
on how we should treat our sister and brother?”
A voice let out a shrill,
“Thou shalt not kill!”
An amendment
A soldier reclines
on a bed of mines,
Unmarked
Apart from a bindi.
A little girl stares
Through glazed, lifeless eyes,
Her clothes bloodied.
Her childhood discarded.
A woman distressed,
Weeps over her husband.
Her ex-husband.
Severely bludgeoned.
A lad lies lifeless
In Srebenica.
His head has exploded.
A pizza?
Girl, woman, man, lad
All victims of killing.
War? Rape? Murder? Arrest?
Resisting?
Never.
Thou shalt not kill.
An amendment
A soldier reclines
on a bed of mines,
Unmarked
Apart from a bindi.
A little girl stares
Through glazed, lifeless eyes,
Her clothes bloodied.
Her childhood discarded.
A woman distressed,
Weeps over her husband.
Her ex-husband.
Severely bludgeoned.
A lad lies lifeless
In Srebenica.
His head has exploded.
A pizza?
Girl, woman, man, lad
All victims of killing.
War? Rape? Murder? Arrest?
Resisting?
Never.
Thou shalt not kill.
In a lonely garden is a shrine
where upon a rough hewn stone is writ:
“GOD IS LOVE.”
The devoted supplicants make wail,
water the flowers, feed with crumbs
the sacramental dove.
A priest, decrepit, feeds the holy fire,
rakes the embers of the holy hearth.
Heaven is grey above.
Daily he laments in doleful orison,
unbinds the holy scroll and reads:
“Thou shalt not kill.”
His sentence is short and simple,
without exceptions and parentheses,
declaring God’s will.
though many about have forsaken
Love’s fane, have fallen prostrate
before a god of ill.
And this god has three faces,
one wreathed in pleasure’s smiles,
when the cup is full.,
a brazen face of terror
wrought in hatred’ fire,
And a skull.
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