Temporary Custody

When we preach to the choir,
Seeking reinforcement of an idea,
Or offer rhetoric to show moral standing
And recognition of a terrible wrong,

When we absolve ourselves of any need to persist,
Suggesting there is nothing to be done,
While still offering invective,
Espousing a crucial task for the “other”,

When the odds are not in our favor
And our truth is displaced by doctrine,
We are silenced by jingoist slogans
Whose volume is commensurate with the lie.

When we tire, mumble of terrible consequences
That will follow a “new speak”,
And fail to commit actions appropriate to your outrage,
Know that morality is then in the custody of the lawyers.