THE UNDESERVING
Sorry folks, sermon delayed as the Reverend’s been nursing a couple of sickies today. They sleep now and so on to today’s poem..
The Undeserving
“And so”, the Social-Worker sighed,
“they come to me to solve their problems
petty and obscure.
In my Professional capacity I have no equal,
call it bedside manner I suppose,
What seems to be the problem, I ask yet again,
of some rough Stranger, as though they were my Friend.
I can’t help it. Push the Emotional Buttons
and the Sympathies arise as if on cue.
I was always a sucker for a sad tale.
It’s true.
Empathy’s like a Curse
or worse, for me.
So time and again
I lift a Helping Hand for “the Undeserving”
even though I know they take me
for a Fool, despise my aid
and laugh about me afterwards.”
“I don’t blame them,” I replied,
“It’s the Beggars’ Code.
Bite the hand that feeds you
or be condemned to be grateful
for sanctimonious crumbs all your Life.
I know. I’ve wandered winter streets myself,
a Failure in borrowed overcoat,
without a home or hope or gold
and let me tell you, matey,
Charity is always cold.”
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The Reverend Hellfire is a practising Performance Poet, President of the Kurilpa Institute of Creativity, an ordained Minister of the Church of Spiritual Humanists AND the Church of the Universe.
Well, someone had to do it.
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Reverend Hellfire's Sunday Sermon 