The Disillusioned Minister

The Good Book serves to satisfy
The snooping eyes
Of the oft-uninvited deacons' wives
Whose frequent persistence in visiting,
To bring tidings and Tupperware
Brim-full with cookies and gossip,
Heralds more of here-say than heresy.
On the table by the front door,
Being begrudgingly displayed,
The gargantuan tome is
Left out to collect dust
And impress visitors
With visions of pious righteousness.
A thin film of grey
Coates the pages,
Blending the black with the white,
And even the red words of Jesus
Fade.