Go back to One Samuel chapter eight—
That’s when the struggle that still haunts began.
The priests were running things, and doing great
For themselves—they got the loot, ran the clan.
But folks rebelled: “We want a king to rule!”
Old Sam tried his best—warned that evil kings
Would rape their daughters, draft their sons, and fuel
Their reign with nasty tax on everything.
They got their king—good looking, rich, and tall—
Along with endless stress—who really ruled?
Universal struggle, fierce, mindless brawls
Twixt clerics and their monarchs never cooled.
Solomon built his temple with corvée—
Monarchs pray, kneel to kiss the bishop’s ring—
Some foreign states collect tax, to this day,
To help those churches do their awful things.
Not hard, I guess, to understand that fling
We read about—that flash German bishop
Spent 40 million bucks to tune his digs up.
Clergy rules! The proof: our Bishop of Bling.
(10/30/13)