The Dog Of God Poem by Gert Strydom

No pet that ever plays around
and lays its head
down on a prayer mat,
or hunting dog that sniffing
follows the track,
rather he is a wolf
that rips apart in hate
when he gets the sent of blood.

Still, certainly he is unique
armoured like a dragon
with fire that devours
when he opens his mouth.

How many girls
did he fry as witches
and for how many men of God
fire was his resort?

Even for Jeanne d'Arc
that with help from above
(or so she believed)
tried to rescue her nation,
there was no absolution
and fire was his word and law.

[Reference: Die hond van God by NP van Wyk Louw. “Domini canes” – “The dogs of the Lord” – is how Roman Catholic Dominicans are known and to whom the leaders of the Inquisition primary belonged. This verse illustrates how easily man can make mistakes, where the church and state are one. Who reads this verse as an assault on the Roman Catholic Church misinterprets it.]