'Honour Them 21/12/2009 Poem by Margaret Alice

Father and mother approve of their own lives
remember being great parents, scaring me into
obedience to such an extent I disappeared, was
a great way to teach me humility

They are good Christians who never held onto
possessions, saved the souls of my siblings by
teaching them it is wrong to own anything, being
disciples of Jesus with only enough to eat

My brother Ian and I reject their culture of living
in poverty, existing only for charity; mother tries
to evangelize me, to give up my life for her
religion, to send my kids to her

I am free to leave my parents after the savage
scenes of violence in which they played virtuous
parents subjecting their rebellious children while
blaming grandma for everything

I respect their way of life, but refuse to take part in
the emotional blackmail by which they live, I seek
different rules, they find insistence on discipline
and consistent behaviour ridiculous

Regard a quest for integrity with grave distrust because
they believe in blind obedience to irrational demands,
persist in the same behavior that led to bankruptcy
which they defend as doing the right thing

They expect me to show solidarity by following their
example; when I refuse, they make me invisible; I
shall honour them by not interfering again…