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Writer's pictureAlexander Williams

Poet's Corner



By Alexander Williams


Alexander is a writer, teacher and singer from Watford. This is the title poem of his whole collection 'Secular Verses'.





Secular Verses


Release us O Earth, O Frailty

From the scourge of religious charities

Who collect tithes and tributes in the name of their god

And claim back the taxes.

In the name of Sense, release us.


Release us O Earth, O Frailty

From the hypocrisy of those who preach

About sacrifice and humanity

Whilst hoarding land, wealth and property

Sufficient to rid the world of poverty.

In the name of Sense, release us.


Release us O Earth, O Frailty

From collective worship in schools

And religious educations

Which indoctrinate the next generation

With their superstitious poison.

In the name of Sense, release us.


Release us O Earth, O Frailty

From the requirement to give special concessions

To those worshipping an imaginary friend

But not those visiting a real friend

As they lie alone, sick and desperate.

In the name of Sense, release us.


Release us O Earth, O Frailty

From the tyranny of an established church

Which compels heads of state to lead

And prime ministers to administrate

A faith most of their citizens disavow.

In the name of Sense, release us.


Release us O Earth, O Frailty

From religious symbols in our national life

From anointing the monarch

And singing the national anthem

To the official celebration of patron saints.

Bring an end to divisive parliamentary prayers

That advantage any politician

Willing to sit through them

And release the twenty-six lord bishops

From the burden of their automatic seats.

In the name of Sense, release us.


Release us O Earth, O Frailty

From our nervous respect for religions

Which censors discussion and debate

And silences critical tongues.

Give us the courage to love the people

And challenge the institutions,

To expose their hypocrisies

Ridicule their false promises

And dismantle their privilege.

Release us from religious exemptions in law

That eschew sound ethics

In favour of ancient tradition.

Make animal slaughter humane, not holy.

In the name of Sense, release us.


Release us O Earth, O Frailty

From the disease of religious hypocrisy,

Whereby saintly bishops protected paedophile priests

Righteous nuns stole babies from their mothers

Pious preachers supported slavery

And countless faithful hordes

Deny women agency over their own bodies

Deny same sex couples the right to love and marry

And fail to see the humanity of fellow human beings

While claiming the moral high ground.

In the name of Sense, release us.


Release us O Earth, O Frailty

From those who use violence

To silence blaspheming tongues

And murder to erase dishonour.

Release us from beatific titles

Distributed by committees of fantasists.

Release us from meddling.

Let us die when we are ready to die.

Don’t keep us in suffering and pain

Because a stranger’s god prefers it.

Their god means nothing to us.

Their god has no authority over us.

Their traditions are theirs, not ours.

In the name of Sense, release us.


Alexander Williams is a writer, teacher and singer from Watford. His collection of poems Secular Verses is published and available on Amazon. Click the link and help support his great work. Details of his previous books can be found at www.thedialup.blogspot.com

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