by Emily Wharton
Only 70% of people surveyed
believe in the devil
First a fall from paradise
then this drop in the polls
some demons can’t catch a break
I’m sure he’s crying himself to sleep tonight
wondering if it’s even worth plotting
a big PR stunt. Psycho killers keep
all their own press. Everyone thinks
“possession” is a fragrance. A 21st century Job
would be featured in a Lifetime original movie.
but then again, even God’s numbers are slipping
and he’s the one with the infrastructure
and the make-or-break-your-eternity reputation
The devil decides he’s overreacting.
Any agent will tell you, all trends are cyclical.
as Monty Python said: “No one expects
the Spanish inquisition”
Emily Wharton is a poet living and working in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She earned her MFA in creative writing at Hamline University. Her poems have appeared in the Minnesota Poetry Calendar and Split-City Review. She is a recurring participant in the Talking Image Connections reading series.