forty

“Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.” 2 Timothy 2:14-21

ready to rip to shreds

any utterance by another;

checking every dictionary and

thesaurus for new weapons;

lining up our arguments like

tiny orcs marching on Helm’s Deep,

we do not hear the children

asking, ‘read us a story about love;’

the old folks wondering if

we know grace’s old songs;

the forgotten and the stranded

whispering, ‘can't you share a word

of hope,

just this once?’

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman