In A Dried-Up Land Devoid Of Song

In a dried-up land devoid of song
do not smile
or think a different thought
to that of your neighbour
 
kneel before
the sacrificial altar
and alter your every belief
 
pay lip service to a grief
you have no feeling for
praise a god or leader
you have no faith in
 
Forget fun
Put a padlock on it
Fence it in
Throw it in prison
Turn it off not on
 
No, such a predicament
cannot happen here
Not where we live
 
No?
 
But I fear I’ve caught a glimpse of it;
lurking in collective worship,
chanting in a single-minded crowd,
its hackles rising,
deciding, for all of us, what will be
and will not be
allowed.