Smile Like The Others Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

What IS going on?
Has everyone become insane?

'Sssshhh.
Keep your voice down.
Let's pretend,
That we are not aware...
Of the people running around butt naked,
Chasing each other and shooting guns.
Once we are inside...
I'm sure everything will be fine.
Just don't make eye contact,
With the police looking at 'us' suspiciously.
After all...
Remember, we are visitors here,
And not residents of this community.
Smile like the others are doing.
We don't want to offend anyone.'

I must admit...
Being 'frisked' before going inside,
To attend a church service...
I've never experienced before?

'Like I said...
Smile like the others are doing.
We don't want to offend anyone.
And besides,
We are visitors here,
And not residents of this community.
Some Christians approach the living of their lives,
Much differently from others.
We are here to pray and mingle and pretend to be saved.'

From what?
Reality?

'Sssshhhh!
We are only going to spend one hour with them.
Is one hour spent with others deluded too much to ask? '