PEOPLE OF THE LIE (inspired by Scott Peck’s book of the same title)

People of the lie don’t fear to die because they are already dead—all life is terminal—already born by angels to a high mountain/tempting to throw down their lives into Gehenna for sacrifice\people of the lie seem to be hiding something, a deeper, darker secret, closeted behind large, mahogany doors with ornate carvings/they aspire to vie, the people of the lie, for some small rotting piece of ground to protect from phantom enemies, like the soldiers guarding Iwo Jima/their own private one/this barren patch of earth called home/justification of their ache for power and brutality, i.e., POWER=Personally Optimized With Erratic Reactions—they wear their greed on shirt sleeves or skirts/they wear them on T-shirts proudly and obliquely. Babies exchange diapers with the same words for blue jean overalls/just like daddy’s.

© Christopher Bear Beam, MA
May, 2009