Has man and his stumbling so done us in
Our every mistake is now pleasured as sin?
Are hearts today so haughtily hardened
Personal failings will never be pardoned?

Blinding the truth ‘tween sin and mistake
Our blunders tattooed, indelibly baked
Legacies tarnished and publicly shamed
Goodness expunged, can’t be reclaimed

Sin, born as human, now morally served
Has us playing God, smugly conferred
Digging for dirt, holy hypocrite art
Unearthing muck till we’ve buried our heart

Humanity sentenced inside our judgment
Relieves self-guilt, through pious indulgence
Projecting on others, so we don’t lay claim
Disowning our faults, skulking from blame

But, if my mistakes are sins so decreed
It is me deeded bad, not my bad deed
And, when I’m your pariah, so you can escape
Craftily spared, you will still not be safe

For mistakes are surely intended as mentors
Transforming man through our misadventures
So, as God forgives, if we opt self-righteous
We are the sin that further divides us

Categories: poetry