Three Legged Laughter

Toward the end,

When you're sick as a three legged dog on the streets of India

With the HIV about to turn into AIDS

Your infected insides about to boil into a lung and organ gumbo

Just relax,

Spend a few hours at church...

Watch the parishioners pray over,

And then chow down,

A funny bowl of crackers they swear is the flesh of some dead guy.

Some dead guy from like two thousand years ago....

There's wine too, get wasted before you go though;

(as the wine tastes like piss)

It's so hilarious because they're so serious

About all of this...

And laughter is what lifts the spirits

When you're sick as a three legged dog on the streets of India

(you're still probably going to die in pain.... and soon too)

Author's Note

Reviews

[KWP]

i never saw any sick three legged dogs in India ... saw planty of skinny runts sniffing through the unending river of garbage ... never saw a three legged dog though ...

it's all just passing moments really isn't it - sick or not - long life in the physical or not - happy, sad, angry, flourishing, just one moment leading to the next ... sick, well that's just another moment ... and what does it all come back to ... the acceptance of what is and wishing you had of take that gift certificate for swimming lessons in the river of eternity :)

[Davidgeo]

India has some serious rural poverty going on that you won't see on vacation. There is over 1.25 billion people in that country, with around 24% of them living below the poverty line (>2 dollars a day) it's got some serious problems. It is also the second most financially unequal country in the world with 1% of the population controlling 60% of the wealth. Spend some time in Dadra and Nagar Haveli next time you go to India... a three legged dog would be the least fucked up of all the fucked up s**t you would see there.

It is all just passing moments I believe, I think you are right about that. It's why even though I mock religion for being naïve and rooted in superstition I still find good things in it (mostly just stuff to laugh at but other more sober things as well). I don't care that it's just a dog and pony show, if it helps people get through something tragic in a healthy way that's a good thing no matter what you believe in.

Of course, there are all the horrible things it's been responsible for that completely cancel out all the good s**t but... that's for another time.

[Bhumika Rao]

this was one of the most impactful satires I've read..!!! it makes you laugh at the absurdities of the religion and also has an aggressive tone to it....good job!!!

[Davidgeo]

Thanks dawg.

[Not Active]

This poem made me laugh. Very funny and nicely written. There's an important message under all the sarcasm that I think more people need to focus on. Good writing sparks fires and judging from your reviews you've cause a pretty huge fire. Well done.

[bob, small b. aka invs]

this poem annoyed me, but at least it made me react, which is better than most. you see, i've been in a place several times in my life where doctors have all but given up on me, but i somehow managed to struggle through. though i am a heretic from an evangelical background and no longer believe much of their teaching, it never once occurred to me to get snarky about those who do still believe or about their beliefs. if i had been able to drag myself to church in those times, i would have sat there praying that the stuff i no longer believed WERE true. and i would have pleaded for help. i know we all react differently to situations, but this poem just didn't ring true for me.

[Davidgeo]

It's not meant to be a serious poem. I wrote this while watching a show called "it's always sunny in Philadelphia" and smoking a lot of grass. You're still gonna die though Bob, that's what's really annoying you... not my stupid poem.

[bob, small b. aka invs]

no. i've been convinced i'm gonna die for quite a long time now. it has long since stopped annoying me. it WAS your stupid poem.

[Davidgeo]

glad to have annoyed you then.

[Egonarc]

I don't know what to think, but this feels flat and more like a joke. Its an interesting style for a poem and I do believe that is what I like about it. How it is written almost as if someone (whispers) to you.
Sorry for not being able to complement or just give good feed back. Speechless in an uncertain way.

[Davidgeo]

It is a joke. If you're clever you'll get the reference. You spelled compliment wrong.

[hypochondrita]

this has a dark yet guiltily amusing touch. I like it.

[KTizzle]

"When you're sick as a three legged dog on the streets of India
With the HIV about to turn into AIDS
Your infected insides about to boil into a lung and organ gumbo" You paint a gruesome picture of life in India.

"A funny bowl of crackers they swear is the flesh of some dead guy. Some dead guy from like two thousand years ago....There's wine too, get wasted before you go though;(as the wine tastes like piss)" I found the sarcasm humorous in a dark sort of way.

"And laughter is what lifts the spirits
When you're sick as a three legged dog on the streets of India (you're still probably going to die in pain.... and soon too)" I liked the word play.

When tragedy coats the eyes of people, faith is but a fleeting wind or fairy tale. This poem makes me think about how any god could let stuff like this happen.

Thanks for sharing.