Jack Pelham

I had hoped we could learn to pronounce nuclear,
But discovered that some simply do not care.

I’m changing my pronouns from he/his to his/he.
I hope that everyone will honor my choice
Even if they think it’s really stupid.

I used to be in charge of just me,
But now I identify as one who is
In charge of everybody.
So naturally, you all have to do what I say.
And if you don’t, I will be forced to
Identify you as very bad people.
And you all know I can.

Somebody told us Christians that we should
Mostly just wait around for Jesus to come back.
And most of us thought that sounded like a fine idea.
Obviously, he doesn’t want us to make this world better
While we’re here—and we can prove it by this smart reasoning:
If he did want it, he would come down here himself and show us how.

Knowledge has its limits,
For knowledge alone cannot make one do
What he knows he should do.
No, it’s the the human will that
Is necessary for that to happen.

It’s either a stupid person
Or someone trying to manipulate stupid people
Who messes with the meaning of words.

There is the most fascinating phenomenon
Ever in play in this troubled world—
Darkened as it is by its own choice
And deserving its darkness.

Lurking
For fear of
Doing anything else,
He keeps life at arm’s length
In hope that it can be sufficiently enjoyed
From the silent safety of the shadows.

And seeing what he is doing,
I imagine him matured and
Beyond this tentative beginning.

If you would like to observe a fool in its natural habitat,
I can tell you one place you’re almost certain to find one.

The pendulum may continue to swing until
Modern man doesn’t know how to do anything anymore
Except to work a job to pay someone else to do everything for him—
Farming out nearly everything out until he has forgotten how to do anything for himself.

He had got that most peculiar habit
Of vetting things before believing them—
Which had had the most ironic effect
Of making his own life so much the better
In its own right,
While being an aggravant to
The careless world around him.