The Burden of Proof / Reign - Joey Cape

How do you suffer?

Feel pain?

Feel sorrow for anything?

All those bodies in your wake

I see you hanging by your noose

Delivered, divine excuse

Drowning sirens in your lake

It’s a sonnet

But there’s no way to put a ribbon on it

True believing

You will never find the strength in grieving

The burden of proof lies on you

Fuck this, I’m done arguing

Our fate is not bound to your cold foretelling

And the doctrine that you serve does not serve this discussion

Irrelevant nonsense disqualifies you

It’s a sonnet

There’s no way to put a ribbon on it

While you’re leaving

The rest of us will be here grieving

Cradling our reason

Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Shame

Sing the words in line and prey

Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Shame

Walk, willfully in reins

Hurricanes are coming like empires

Rising seas your willful God’s damning lake of fire

And your certainty dismisses solution

The result of our behavior is the reason that you run

It’s a sonnet

There’s no way to put a ribbon on it

While you’re leaving

The rest of us will be here grieving

Cradling our reason

Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Shame

Follow the party line and prey

Hallowed be Thy Shame, Thy Name

March willingly

Into wars

Won’t be named, won’t be framed, won’t be strange

You and not just them will fight for land, hanging man

Will you still prey then?

I’m done arguing

Our fate is bound by innovation, not theory or fiction

That book you love but never read shouldn’t leap into debate

Especially when your faith absolves you of empathy

Accountability

Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Shame

Sing the words in time and prey

Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Shame

Fight for a home in the name

In the name

We will be killing for it