We bow to booze,
kneel and worship at the
altar of money,
chase women like prayers,
looking for meaning
in things that rust and rot.
Every god we build
is hollow and dead.
Every sacrifice
is empty.
We grab nothing
and still call it holy.
-
Author:
Thomas W Case (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: January 4th, 2026 09:24
- Comment from author about the poem: Thank you for stopping by. I just posted a new long-form video reading from Aluminum Cowboys, along with a few gritty vignettes I wrote recently. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/QzS2hIl5HOU If you’re interested, Aluminum Cowboys: Poems and Short Stories and my other recently published books are available on Amazon. Thanks for reading, watching, and supporting the work. — Thomas W. Case
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 88
- Users favorite of this poem: Friendship, Tristan Robert Lange, aDarkerMind, sorenbarrett, Teddy.15, Paul Bell
Offline)
Comments12
powerful words, Your poem touches on themes of addiction (to alcohol), consumerism (money), romantic relationships, and the pursuit of meaning in life. It presents a bleak view of human existence where conventional "gods" and values fail to provide true fulfillment.
Thank you.
You're so welcome,
Yes, it seems daftness to worship a statue/calf made out of bronze, gold, or whatever, yet there are things that are worldly idolatries. They might be inanimate or animate things.
So very true, as I try to relate in this one.
From one or two of my hymn-poems, the Bible even says this - people take a tree, burn half of it as logs on a fire, then make an idol-statue out of the other half, not stopping to think of the daftness of it all. Their minds have warped, or are darkened, to put it more scripturally.
You know you are getting a major hallelujah and amen out of me. This preaches prophetically for all the right reasons! It's true...and, though it very much uses religious language, this poem should not be reduced to being merely religious. It's existential and is true on every level. Great job, my friend! 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
I appreciate it.
Most welcome!
another piece of art Thomas.
superb;
Thank you, my friend.
A wonderful poem with such deep meaning in dust and rust. A fave
Thanks, my friend.
You are very welcome Thomas
Holy moly 🤣 that's all I've been saying for years!
Lol. Thank you, sweet Teddy.
Now aint that the truth .. Oh' n many congrats on that new book T .. N 😎👍
Thank you, my friend.
We are a strange lot, all of us! 🕊️🙏
Yes we are.
Well done brother. The false idols that bring nothing but more want.
Yes sir. Thank you, my friend.
Alcohol or cornflakes, money and women.
God when it all goes wrong.
It's like humans were put on this earth to fail, and we do fantasticly well.
So true.
'Nothing will come of nothing' - maybe that's out of context, but for me it characterises vast swathes of human activity. Summed up nicely, Thomas.
Thank you, Dave.
this is so true..thanks for sharing
Thanks.
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