Dig in.
I would say “amen” as people commonly do
at times like this, who practice it seriously,
but to tell the truth, the old religion sticks in my throat
from long ago, one of those little burrs that stabs you,
but can’t be reached, so damn prickingly irritating,
but you just can’t pull it off for the life of you.
A mote in my eye, or a rubbing, scratching lash,
or those little protein blobs that swim across my sight,
distracting me
from what’s most important
for me
to see.
But I can see by your faces that you all now
do expect it here, so to finish off what you
must think was supposed to be a prayer,
although in truth it was just
some welcoming comments on the state of the world,
before we eat, I’ll just go ahead then and say “amen,”
force myself, though I may, no joke,
choke on the word, to do so, to please you all,
to fit in, to say what I would never say myself were I alone,
for the sake of show, for the sake of you all. Okay,
Amen.
Dig in.
Lanning Lee 