Old Time Religion

I know what you want.

You want paintings 
of recognizable things.
You want poems that rhyme.
You want movies chock full
of doomed bad guys
and predestined matches
made in heaven.

Most of all, 
you want
a certain kind of music — 

you want “The Way You Look Tonight,”
you want “La Vie En Rose,”  you want
chanteuse and lounge and cabaret.

You want the Oscars and Grammies
to call to you
and you alone…

You want everyone
to stop laughing
when you ask  them to
but most of all

you want everyone to pay attention
to your faith
and follow your sacraments 
the way they used to.