I pay my tithe
Half in the church
Half in the beer parlour

I'm not alone in doing this
Those that call me a cheat
Saying I rob paul and pay pete
Are at best simpleton novice
And worst are average hypocritess
Who would love to join mine and me
In our happy hour Sunday evening
Beside the cathedral at the den of Iya Titi

I pay my tithe
Half in the church
Half in the beer parlour

Reality check; there are two Cathedrals
The white, gleaming St. Peter's Cathedral
And the brownish, faint St Bottle's Cathedral
There physical proximity thus presenting
A moral dilemma for any full-blooded man
Of a woman born and a man sired
So to pull on the horms of my dilemma
I choose both and I go half-in-half

I pay my tithe
Half in the church
Half in the beer parlour

I like the teachings of Brother Paul
Espousing ways of living and growing
Together in our community in harmony
But I love Brother Peter's things
Especially those his wonderful offsprings
Who brewed the first of those medicine
A man need once or twice a week
For his soul to ease the pain of life

I pay my tithe
Half in the church
Half in the beer parlour

In church, the novice tells me
Lies justice, fairness and equity
And eternal life at the other side
I laugh over my drink at such naivety
He doesn't know the the corporate church
Can also author all that is vile and corrupt
As for what's on the other side of life
He's never been there and can't really tell

I pay my tithe
Half in the church
Half in the beer parlour

Why should I waste my breath on them?
From time immemorial it hasn't much help
Hasn't changed them from the inglorious trend
As castigating hypocrites is like flogging
A corpse in order to make it living
A thoroughly unrewarding exercise in futility
So, like Sunny, I say "let them say"
As I continue in the time-tested way

I pay my tithe
Half in the church
Half in the beer parlour

(c)Lugbajo Publishers 2009

Why my friend, this is a beautiful piece!
I'm seriously surprised that no one has commented until now.
Well do it up, man.


Great work.

@emeka_gh.: thanks my man, you are most definitely a wonderful poet, your piece on nagging and the one on your blog on women's fury are excellent. May your pen never run dry!

An interesting piece I must say.What stands out is the honesty of the poet-persona,who purges his conscience by giving God and the bottle their dues.But come to think of it,there is nothing wrong in taking a swig from time to time,as long as this is done in moderation.But the religious fundamentalists in our midst will call any swig a sin,even though they may be enjoying this sinful pleasure in the recesses of their bedrooms.I think the poet has taken on a subject,which though not at all new in the firmament of literature,is yet one that reeks of controversy:the theme of religion.I think the duty of a writer is to,among other things,expose worn-out shibboleths and hypocrisy in the society.To this extent,the instant poem has succeeded.

gorociano:

@emeka_gh.: thanks my man, you are most definitely a wonderful poet, your piece on nagging and the one on your blog on women's fury are excellent. May your pen never run dry!

Thank again man. I'll post the Woman Scorned poem on another thread. Do you have a blog? If not, you should start one. Take care!

@Wokargwa: thank you for your comment. i really agree with you on the duty of a writer and that our religious fundamentalist are hypocritical. funnily enough i had the idea of this poem just after taking the holy communion,