Poem of the Month for May: “Sermon on Dogma” by Kalicharan Nigel Dey

As selected by the anthology editors, David Harris and Edie Eicas from FSP readings in May, 2016.

Nigel Kalicharan Dey: editor, 2014

SERMON ON DOGMA by Kalicharan Nigel Dey

There I was, sitting on a pew in church,
Attentively listening to Father John Birch.
The Reverend quoted reverently:
“None comes to the Father except through me.”
An exegesis followed with passion and fire:
“Either these words are true or Jesus was a liar.”

“Hold on!” I thought, “There’s a third possible conjecture:
The gospels could contain elements of fiction.”
Father John Birch is an authority on scripture
But like most authorities he has an affliction.

It’s called dogma – an epidemic mental disease
Preventing consideration of all possibilities.
It narrows the mind, driving it to a conclusion
With a steering-wheel of ideological intrusion.
Declaring truth has been found, it calls off the search.
Dogma rules in lecture-hall, laboratory, mosque and church.

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