hell

These heretical poems on the subjects of God, religion and Christianity explain why I “left” the Religious Right.

If one screams below,
what the hell is "Above"?
—Michael R. Burch

Religion is regarded by fools as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful. — Seneca, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Bible Libel
by Michael R. Burch

If God
is good,
half the Bible
is libel.

christ is a liberty
christ is a liberty of rock n roll
christ is a liberty of hell
christ is christ of liberty
rock n roll is a christ of a crisis
rock n roll is hail as a crisis
rock n roll is hail as hell

a crisis is a crisis of hell
a crisis is a crisis of rock n roll
hell is hail as hell
hell is hail as crisis
a hail of rock n roll is a hail of crisis
liberty is hail as hell
liberty is hail as rock n roll

heaven’s scent,hell’s glory
hell is a scent of glory
hell is a hell of a new year
glory is a hell of a glory
the new year is a scent of a new year
glory is the new year’s hell
the coming of the new year is,

the coming of hell
the coming of the new year is,
the coming of a glory
a coming is a coming of glory
new year is a resolution of a new year
new year is a resolution of a glory
resolution is the coming of a resolution

These are Christmas poems by Michael R. Burch. Some are darker Christmas poems and heretical Christmas poems. 

The First Christmas
by Michael R. Burch

’Twas in a land so long ago . . .
the lambs lay blanketed in snow
and little children everywhere
sat and watched warm embers glow
and dreamed (of what, we do not know).

And THEN—a star appeared on high,
The brightest man had ever seen!
It made the children whisper low
in puzzled awe (what did it mean?).
It made the wooly lambkins cry.

These are epigrams I have written over the years about God, religion, the Bible and Christianity. The first epigram is the first poem I remember writing as a boy. 

Bible Libel
by Michael R. Burch

If God
is good,
half the Bible
is libel.

I wrote the epigram above sometime between age eleven and thirteen, after having read the Bible from cover to cover and wondering how anyone could possibly consider the biblical "god" to be "good."

These are heretical poems about Christian concepts such as heaven, hell and salvation. In the past I have published such poems under the heading "Heresy Hearsay."

Less Heroic Couplets: Funding Fundamentals
by Michael R. Burch

“I found out that I was a Christian for revenue only and I could not bear the thought of that, it was so ignoble.” — Mark Twain

The angel of the lord
Appeared on TV sets
All over the world

People woke up
Expecting to see
The usual suspects

Talking heads
Talking drivel
Talking trash

Instead
A stern visage
A stern old man
In a dark suit

He had a salt and pepper beard
And long, dark black hair
And piercing blue eyes
Staring out
From his stern face

The eyes
Piercing the soul
Of all who listened

The voice
Of the angel of the lord
Was like thunder