Saintly cassock,
Glittering altar
Ornamental pulpit.
           
 

Driving the congregants
            in a paroxysm of fib,
Gullibility enshrines adherents
            hearts.
Do you know the Messiah more
            than the apostles ?
Thou traders in the temple.

Parrotic tongues set out
            commands
Loquacious sweet-coated mouths
            misdirects faithfuls.
But the uncreated Creator who
            creates creatures watches
Dreadful silence astonishingly
            permeates the entireness
           of the universe.
Do you preach love?
Do you follow peace with all?
Ye robbers in the temple.

Command darkness to produce
            light.
But you turned moonlight into
            tale.
Can you display Davidic dance
            steps on the road?
Profanity of sanctuary with
            false homiletics.
Merchants of dross in tabernacle

Speak.
Let us hear you.
Preach
To the congregants.

Righteousness afar from the
          apron of faith.
Charity locked up in the
          tunic of hope.
Sanctity of holiness sprinkled
          into the tributary of sin.
Commanding the stars to turn
           to sun,
Captains of night in light.
Ye robbers in the sanctuary.

Pastoral advertisers of chattels
           in the tabernacle,
Merchandising gold dross in
            sermonic hymns.
Sugar-coated doctrine wept in
             the tomb of Lazarus.
Prompting Him to weep again?
Ye merchants in synagogue.

Disentangle faithfuls from the
          webs of worriment.
Dislodge congregants out of the
          shackles of sin.
Deliver ignoramus from the
           isle of incendiary.
Let the sifter of strength
           separate out afflictions from
           feebleminded faithfuls.

Ye robbers in the temple
You love prayers more than God
But who answers prayers?

I experienced experience
I witnessed experience

Swarming like wild bees
Swimming from the brooks
Of outer Marina
Racing into the fountain
Of Islet of Lagos.
Our Lagos,
Their Lagos.
Diverse religionists
On spiritual missions,
Raising up hands in supplications
For open heaven,
For praise and worship.
Some on mundane missions.
Spivs, urchins alike

But this congestion suffocated
Spaces wept for control
Sea breezes searched for outlets
From outer Marina

And wants of oxygen waves
Hands for recognition.
Both faithfuls, penitents , miscreants needed air for survival.
Protestations appealed for audience.
Legs spent and tired ,
Craving for rhapsodic attention

Where are more seats?
Where are more spaces?

Helpless ushers uncaring.

But from the stage roars
Songs of inspirations ,
Songs of supplications
Like war cries.
Sounds from desk to dawning,
Music from dawn into deskiness.
And seat glued me till cockcrow

Night broke into day.
Fading music expelled adherents
Out of arena.
A loud silence now reigned.

Freedom from the fangs of stampede.
I experienced experience
I witnessed experience

I respect all other religions
It is my religion’s directive

Then my God whispered
That’s not respect for other religions
It’s just another way of justifying superiority

Then my conscience convinced me
To respect other religions
As each religion is good for
Its faithfuls

please understand the drunk is not the sober writer of this... but whereas people go to cinemas and stuff their gobs with sweet popcorn and sugary drinks, i go into the other cinema that the catholic church is (to me at least), and engage in what's permitted, i.e. distributed... what? i'm moving it up a notch... brr... wine will not warm you up north... you need some liquor... i'm just waiting for this one centurion to jump out from behind the altar, with a sponge soaked with ***** on a stick, moving it toward that awry mouth... no? sistus legionus mustus not coming? **** me... this is better than going to the cinema! and! and! it's free! so no, no thank you, i'll bring my own sacrament.*

oh i go to church,
but only on special
events,
o.k., ****,
it only happened
once,
   at a christmas
vigil (24th december)...
  and i sat in the back
row,
refusing to take
communion -
sipping a 35cl bottle
of *****,
   listening to
nuns imploring
the gathering of faithfuls
to pray for alcoholics -
sure, you pray
for me,
i'll drink for you.

Dear Allah
Accept our ibadah
We receive grace to remain pious
In this month of Ramadan
Roll away the plagues
And let our Iman speak

Dear Allah
The beneficent, the merciful
Open the eyes of our soul
To see the "Why" of the season
Teach us to be grateful always
Even in the face of a pandemic

Dear Allah
Hold us aloft in Your hands
Lest we fall and crash
With this pandemic
You built your holy temples;
In our human heart beyond walls
And amplified the need for family

Though we strayed from you
But the sight of the moon gave us hope
That our prayers are answered
If you could hang it in the skies
Without droplets or pillars
Is there anything too hard for YOU?

Dear Allah
The Creator of the Universe
Of all the elements you created
We have been most ungrateful
Even in our unfauthfullness
Accept my prayers and forgive our sins
Please roll over this one too
That we live in peace and harmony

We join our brothers and sisters alike
Worshipping you in holy temples
In different cities, faith and culture
To say chain the jinns of Corrona
That they refrain from their torments
By our fast we have obtained "Taqwa"
And we know YOU answer prayers

All outer deeds are solely ours
But Rammadan is for YOU
And YOU romised rewards to faithfuls
We ask not for riches nor gold
Silver, diamond nor precious ornaments
All that we can ever ask now
By virtue of the month of Ramadan
Please take us back to yesterday...
Happy Ed el Fitri.