Almost You Talked Me Into It: A Nod to King Agrippa and Paul the Apostle

I sit on my throne of judgement
Listening to your impassioned words
Making sense of them and
They collide with my entitled world.

Almost you talked me into stepping

Down from my safe privileged space
And power to humble myself
Before your King of Kings so you say.

You speak of monumental moments

In your life’s narrative leading to
Telling me that my life
Can find newer meaning if I’ll only come around.

I sit and I listen quietly to these new words

After all I am powerful and you are a prisoner
But your words and your passion are not the same
As I usually hear when sitting up this high.

Almost you talked me into it

Almost but not quite
You gave it a good shot see you later if at all
You go and die and I’ll stay safe and secure here.

He sits on his chair of opinion and privilege

Across the table or before her computer
The words stories and tales of suffering and woe
Reach out to capture his heart, seize her soul.

She hears and does not hear

He sees and does not see
Tormented souls and strife and struggle
Then explains them as before.

You almost talked me into it

Almost but not quite
Your impassioned plea for those people
Landed on my ears but I’ll just see them with old eyes.

Almost you persuaded me to believe in their cause

Almost not quite in their stories
I will stay the same in my insulated world
From my safe space I will name-call blame insult demean.

The least of these

Collides with that which is me
And that which is me
Trumps the least of these.

Almost

Not quite
And so we part
Almost was not enough.