Jesus loves you,
Don’t you all know?
The holy Bible
Tells each of us so
You are weak—
Don’t get us wrong—
That’s why we teach you
This very song.
Listen up, now,
He just wants your heart.
If you give it,
You’ll have done your part.
Trust us, you’ll be fine,
Cleansed from your sin—
Once you accept us—
We will let you in.
Please believe us,
Believe what we say,
We can’t love you
If we know you ‘re gay.
And though never said,
We will assure you
That our assumptions
Are all that is true.
Once you are in,
We’ll give you the rules;
Take our yoke—heavy—
You’ll become our mules.
Should you try to leave,
Well, that won’t be swell!
We’ll call you sinner—
Pray your soul to hell.
© 2026 Tristan Robert Lange. All rights reserved.
First published on tristanrobertlange.com, January 29, 2026.
Tittu
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Author:
Tristan Robert Lange (
Offline) - Published: January 29th, 2026 09:59
- 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: Religion
- Views: 14
- Users favorite of this poem: sorenbarrett, Friendship, Teddy.15, cellinic
Offline)
Comments7
Straight is the way and narrow the gait and at the end Sciron does await. He'll force you to wash his feet then kick you down Procrustes to greet. Strap you to his iron bed, if too short stretch you, if too long cut off your head. A great write Tristan and a fave
Soren, thank you for this. Your mythic framing exposes the cruelty behind narrow gates and fixed measures, which is exactly what Fine Print is confronting. When belief turns into an iron bed, something sacred has already been lost and, at that point, why even bother? I’m grateful for your reading and the fave. 📜🕯️⚖️🙏
My pleasure my friend
Well written. Powerful. Your poem revolves around the tension between religious belief and acceptance, particularly regarding sexuality. It critiques the hypocrisy within certain religious communities that profess love and acceptance while simultaneously excluding and condemning those who do not conform to their beliefs.
Thank you dearest Friendship! This poem came out of years of sitting inside that fracture…being told you are loved while being shown you are not. Your reading honors that lived dissonance, and I appreciate it deeply. 📜🕯️⚖️🙏
Would it be too much for P & Co gluggers?! lol.
Unfortunately, God starts with g and, I have a feeling, there might be a whole glugging chorus in heaven. Lord help us, except...he didn't! That just might be hell! 🤣
Yes it's all in the small print.
The sentiment was probably true once upon a time, then the money men got a hold of it.
Always wondered why people who dressed in frocks had a problem with gay people, am I missing something.
Paul, exactly. The small print, the money men, the frocking frocks for frock's sake…it would be comedy if it hadn’t done so much damage. Your comment lands because it lets the absurdity indict itself. Appreciate the wit and the read. 📜🕯️⚖️🙏
As a person who doesn't believe nor have any interest in religion I find this to be most amusing, it's funny how we can be brainwashed into believing bad things, but then I say, each to their own, an excellent poem I had a good chuckle. 🌹
Thank you, dearest Teddy. Yes…sadly so. Worse yet, this isn’t just confined to belief systems at all. School was as brutal as the Church. It’s a human instinct toward control and discriminate, and religion just happens to be one of the more efficient delivery systems because of how foundational and personal it is. Your comment gets right to that core of it, my friend. Appreciate it. 📜🕯️⚖️🙏
The poem deals with discussions of religious beliefs, hypocrisy and acceptance. What is most valuable in it is sincere and deep author's ideas that might seem provocative a bit but surely call for listening to... Many thanks. My fave!
Cellinic, thank you…that’s genuinely appreciated. Hearing the ideas received as sincere and worth listening to means a lot to me. I’m grateful for your attention and the fave. 📜🕯️⚖️🙏
A great rhymer accounting for (as in 'no') for some of the trials and tribulations you suffer within your faith Tristan. Glad it is not mine.
Take care of yourself.
Dave, thank you. And yes…that’s fair. Of course, while this comes through faith language, the suffering isn’t confined to it. It shows up anywhere people decide who belongs and who doesn’t. We humans, right? 😅 I appreciate your time and presence, my friend, always. Take care as well! 📜🕯️⚖️🙏
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