Why did we go to church
When we were young?
I think it was the carrot and the stick
The carrot was the mystery
God is in this place
Sanctuary lamp tabernacle
Incense altar lace
Colourful stained glass windows
People gathered in
Power in a pulpit
Christmas Eastering
The stick
Well that was mortal sin
Threat and reality
Missing mass you go to hell
For all eternity
And sex was sin so clearly
Needed a darkened room
Confess your innocent youthful thoughts
Absolved escape the doom
John Lennon said imagine
No heaven no hell below
No countries to fight for
No greed at the door
Lennon learned the hard way
Where love is to be found
And lost his life when coming home
World stopped – couldn’t hear a sound
We’ve changed our tune in church these days
No longer threaten hell
People find that for themselves
Their faces often tell
And heaven the promise of future joy
Well that still has to wait
But today is ours to live right well
Today is heaven’s gate
Brian Fahy
10 October 2021
Erris Poetry 