Cartoons

Deliberately I shun the froth of Section A
until I feed my soul on rich theology
presented as the Comics page

With accuracy these men and women, cats and dogs,
proclaim in daily folly gospels
full of nourishment enabling me
to face at last the headline sham
with tolerance if not with grace

But here, apparently, the by-line bias—
the distorted picture of our time and place—
shows only dim awareness of our state

Religiously we lead our cartoon lives
in faith our Father suffers fools
and trust that he in reading us
flips first beyond the babbling and chaotic front
to find the simple truth he loves.