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kids wielding freedom and sin

Janet Kuypers
2/11/14

Whenever the kids go away to school,
they’re suddenly on their own
and every sin is suddenly now within their grasp.

If their parents aren’t there to scold them,
the kids can still see
the ranting preacher at the street corner

denouncing every adult idea they now have.
The preacher says
the number one sin is lust, but the kids

don’t know if it’s lust or pride, or greed,
though on their own
they love gluttony and sloth, though they doubt

that envy or wrath have anything to do with
their adult urges now.
It doesn’t matter to the kids if the preacher

they call “Mad Max” on the Quad wielding his Bible
and screaming maniacally
at anyone who might catch a scrap of his scratchy

voice, it doesn’t matter if he ever preached
in a church, it doesn’t matter
if the kids are religious freaks or atheists,

because even from afar the parents can be pleased
that their religion can somehow
worm it’s way in, even when they’re no longer around

to indoctrinate their little ones themselves. They
smile at the idea of that
crazed preacher. They think, “Keep up the good work.”

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