Bonhoeffer, Part 2
by Michael Doyle

To the bully, no one is a partner
To that bully, no one is smarter.
And if the smarter does not hide his mind,
He'll be lucky if any part is left behind.

You find the bullies in hidden alleyways.
Or if it's Lucifer, in the world's last days.
Hitler and FDR threw the opposition in jail cells.
Everyone knows that it isn't the news that sells.

We wash, rinse, and repeat like the canary who sang,
But the wiseman gone wrong knows he'll one day hang.
The poet knows it as he goes searching for his rhyme,
We might all hang together if given enough time

In the darkest times, the oppression grows,
Yet still, the light shines on the way to the gallows.
The lucky ones still find laughter and a song.
The right time comes calling them to where they belong.

The wisdom of the people didn't keep Hitler out.
And though I'm not prone to fomenting doubt.
Reality dances grimly when all we can see is need.
This is when the demons of democracy are freed.

The strong man comes, and although it is odd,
He changes the Church and supplants almighty God.
Rumors and rage supplant reason in these days,
And the puppets of power seek only power when they pray.

We stare upward, chain-smoking, and call on eternity.
There has never been such a bloodthirsty century.
There was something like fear hanging in the thick air.
God help us all when we fall into Satan's snare.

It's coming and unstoppable, we feel with apprehension.
While fools laugh at us as if we seek attention.
Questioning why we suddenly feel as if completely alone,
We beg our dear God to allow us to quietly atone.

Listen as we hear the nation's heartbeat again.
Stumbling blindly, we confuse foe for friend.
It's not God who sends evil to replace salvation.
It is a found thing when Satan claims rectification.

The Church and politics should not have an intersection
When they do, perhaps it's time for a course correction.
When the Church influences the people's choices,
We should make certain of what we hear as godly voices.

When people become victims of their mistaken illusions,
Those speaking the truth must clear up the confusion.
As Paul said, we are not to give power to tears or fear.
The Spirit gives us bravery to stay in needed good cheer.

We hear tomorrow's unborn children calling
As if dark-winged angels are steadily falling.
The substance of this cracks across the pages,
People beware, we are living in the age of rage.

(c) February 7, 2026   Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved