Vis-à-vis

You could have encountered God incarnate
But you only had eyes for a fun-house-mirror idol
That shows you the you, you wish you could be

Which idol is worse?
The pride of deserving;
Or the thought that you can’t do,
 It’s been done,
 So don’t try?

What is it that makes it look like we think,
That man is not white enough to belong,
But those others are not brown enough to be told?

Between God and the gods that we worship
How is our love so fickle and entranced?
If it shines or glitters or makes us look good
We’ll sell it our souls for a chance

Poetry Scales 131