Humans Afraid to Be Free

Religions get together
to urge you to submit
bow and scrape and grovel
before a 3-headed host
not a circus sideshow
but father, son and holy ghost.

All act so ecumenical
you'd think the world's at peace
but then one gets you all alone
and gabbles like the geese
each one can show the only way
to cheat an earthy death..

What makes their way work, they say
is how you purge yourself
give up your soul, money and goods
and live in their embrace
avoid the devil's handy men
in the other cultist place.

They say it's just one god
it's magic, hear the bell
you're chosen 'cause you're smarter
unbelievers go to hell
it's not for the faint of heart
just trust and you can tell.

One day the light comes on
you've heard a dozen spiels
whoa, they're all the same
just different colored reels
you must give up yourself
and submit as if in shame.

Each one rewrites the myth
to thicken their own puree
the final message boiled down
unmashed is there to see
These gods are all made up by men
Without them you'll be free.

Naomi Sherer