From "The Museum of Clear Ideas"
March 20, 2007
Don Hall is our poet laureate. A recent edition of his collected poems includes a lyric for these pluralistic times. Hall writes:
The times are propitious for fake religions.
Today let's decide which priest, beauty, athlete,
moviestar, or Jungian to celebrate
by electing him
God. Hype springs eternal in the human breast.
Let's diversify spiritual options,
play New Age rock, and improvise jargon
with Julia, founder
of the God-of-the-Month Club, who keeps busy
shamaning around in her medicine man
costume, afterward to go Sufi dancing
with Jerry Falwell. . . .
The times are propitious for fake religions.
Today let's decide which priest, beauty, athlete,
moviestar, or Jungian to celebrate
by electing him
God. Hype springs eternal in the human breast.
Let's diversify spiritual options,
play New Age rock, and improvise jargon
with Julia, founder
of the God-of-the-Month Club, who keeps busy
shamaning around in her medicine man
costume, afterward to go Sufi dancing
with Jerry Falwell. . . .