Religion always seems to excommunicate those
Offering a wider, gentler stream to baptize in;
Border czars of heartland-heaven’s hellish gates.
Bemoaning blasphemy over quizzical queries—
Enforcement of rigidity never truly succeeds—
Literalists and legalists cut the lede and lose.
Letting them know that is the real challenge.
Poet’s Note:
An acrostic Scorched Sunday poem. Part of my Scorched Strays series. This poem critiques religious gatekeeping and the impulse to police belief rather than nurture faith.
Yeah, not the border czar you were thinking of. But with federal agents in Minneapolis fatally shooting a Minneapolis ICU nurse — the third such incident in weeks — there’s a lot more coming from me on this. Stay tuned, but for now...
~~~~+++~~~~
god bless—who?
god bless—who?—america?
too many words come to mind,
but how many will be heard?—
how many will change a single
heart
that seeks its own bloodstream
at the terrible expense of itself?
anthropophagus res publica
devour to declare divinity
while dutifully defecating
on the very one deemed
divine.
“america’s chickens have
come home to roost”
a prophet, not long ago,
said.
~~~~+++~~~~
Dedicated to these and all lives lost in this and every era of senseless American authoritarianism—named here not as statistics, but as witnesses to the cost of power unchecked.
• Silverio Villegas González
• Renée Nicole Good
• Alex Jeffrey Pretti
• Ramesh Amechand
• Pankaj Karan Singh Kataria
• José Manuel Sánchez-Castro
• Brendy Yohana Bamaca-Zacarias
• Jhon Benavides Quintana
• Hugo Roberto Boror-Urla
• Cambric Dennis
• Edixon del Jesús Farias-Farias
• Jaspal Singh
• Charles Leo Daniel
• Ousmane Ba
• Geraldo Lunas Campos
• Victor Manuel Diaz
© 2026 Tristan Robert Lange. All rights reserved.
First published on tristanrobertlange.com, January 25, 2026.
Tittu
-
Author:
Tristan Robert Lange (
Offline) - Published: January 25th, 2026 09:10
- Comment from author about the poem: I’m published in an anthology featuring authors from across the Poconos, PA. All proceeds benefit the Pocono Liars Club — a collective of authors and editors dedicated to supporting and mentoring local writers. Available in paperback and Kindle, please consider purchasing one and supporting a great cause. https://a.co/d/58uxM69
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 14
- Users favorite of this poem: Friendship, aDarkerMind, cellinic
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Comments7
Powerful but coded this poem seems to cry out against institutional judgements and regulations of belief and who one is. A sad poem of control enforcement. Such the world has been and such it is, if you are not one of us you are against us. Believing the same is demanded and only the first step.
Soren, I appreciate how you traced the arc from belief policing to control enforcement without flattening the human cost. Crazy times, these be. Let art do what it does best, right? Thank you, my friend. 🕯️🚧🙏🖤
You are most welcome Tristan strange times they be indeed.
Your poem critiques religious and governmental authoritarianism, addressing the impact of rigid belief systems and violence in America.
Friendship, yes…it does. Thank you for seeing it so clearly, my friend. 🕯️🚧🙏🖤
It must be 'religion' that's the cause of all, or a lot, of these related troubles. Surely not true Christianity lived out in Christ's life, love, and light (turn that light on! lol). We're on the receiving end of some of that - the latter, that is - at present. 🙂
Orchi, the contrast between “religion” and faith lived through Christ’s life, love, and light is exactly the fault line this poem is pressing on. I appreciate you naming that so clearly. May more true Christians rise up, for the harvest is great but workers "way too" few. I think the J-man will approve of that slight editorial change 🤣...that or he'll forgive me. 🤷♂️ 🕯️🚧🙏🖤
I still can't get my head around the number of medieval and backward things happening in what's meant to be the 21st century. 🕊️🙏
You and me both, my friend! You and me both. 😢
and every line sais all that needs to be said.
a strange and controlling world it most certainly is Tristan.
one to favour yet again.
Indeed it is! Thank you, Melvin! Much appreciated! 🕯️🚧🙏🖤
A very deep and significant write on burning subjects of world politics, both American and external... thank you, my friend
Cellinic, thank you…this poem needed to be read as both political and human, urgent and mournful. I am glad that you found it relevant, even beyond American politics. Amen. Your words tell me it landed where it needed to land. I’m grateful for your time with it, my friend.. 🕯️🚧🙏🖤
Hey Tristan, you should know me well enough to understand that I have no wish to comment upon those matters of Christian faith with which you involve yourself.
However when the Trump-et’s bugle calls to arms simultaneously take on the world plus internally as well….. sorry, I lost (can’t follow) the plot anymore. Your vexation is palpable.
Yes, I do know, respect, and appreciate that, my friend. In fact, it says much about you that you engage with my religious stuff at all, and I am much appreciative of your willingness to. Theology or theism aside, I am glad you could feel the vexation, because it is very real...and yes, the plot isn't just lost in space, it's screaming "Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!" off of Earth #13 in the Multiverse of WTF?!?! 🤣😬 I truly appreciate your time and thoughts on this, my friend!🕯️🚧🙏🖤
Many thanks for your usual thoughtful interesting response, Tristan.. How you find the openness time and energy to respond positively to each and every post you receive here leaves me in wonderment.
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