Smug Ignorant Cruelty

Smug Ignorant Cruelty

Once
while I was eating lunch
I debated
a christian missionary preacher
on
divine vegetarianism.

The scene:
a Connecticut State Prison
a table for four
three convicts and the preacher.

I spoke of idealism
he accused me of naturalism
I spoke of guardianship
he countered with dominion
I spoke of Eden
he laughed and declared
me
childish
naive.

And his god said,
'Lo, I have given to you
every herb sowing seed,
which is upon the face of all the earth,
and every tree in which
is the fruit of a tree sowing seed,
to you it is for food.'

I ate my salad
green and fresh
as he relished
his
old
cheap
warmed-over
processed
jail
hot dogs.