This Is How We Walk To Church When The News Says Priests Touch Boys Poem by Arsene Hodali

teresa said 'the poor and suffering are closest to God'
so she held them down, and let them stay there
then she lost faith in God

king said 'i have a dream! '
and he did, in beds with hookers
with the wedding ring on

gandhi said 'an ounce of practice beats a ton of preaching'
so he beat up his wife, and chose sex
even when his father was dying

winfrey said 'integrity is doing the right thing
even when you know nobody’s going to know'
then she snorted some coke

sinatra said 'the mafia? ! i’m not friends with them'
then sent them gifts
signed – your pal, frank

charles said 'i can’t stop loving you! '
to nine different baby mamas,
he messed around on

hepburn said 'true beauty is reflected in the soul'
then stopped eating and cut her wrists, in her
one of many, bouts of depression

woods said 'honesty matters more than golf'
then he told his mistress
pick up the phone, take my name off

clinton said 'i did not have sexual relations with that woman'

that was how you said 'mother, martin, mahatma,
oprah, frank, ray, audrey, tiger,
bill'

this is how we walk to church when the news says priests touch boys
this is how we sit when they preach, this is how we kneel
this is how the end justifies the means