by Anne Reiner
The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, prayed during a religious service at the Pentagon that there be “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy”. —The Guardian, March 26, 2026
Unlock the doors to Church of Pete.
We baptize you in gasoline,
shove beggars out onto the street,
bless with a gesture that’s obscene.
We humbly pray for arrogance,
demand your silence with our shouts.
Abuse is our benevolence.
Grant certainty upon your doubts.
We kneel to praise him at the helm,
ignoring scripture’s holy facts.
And as he asked, we overwhelm
with violence as we give the axe.
Anne Reiner is a writer and biostatistician based in NYC.
We baptize you in gasoline,
shove beggars out onto the street,
bless with a gesture that’s obscene.
We humbly pray for arrogance,
demand your silence with our shouts.
Abuse is our benevolence.
Grant certainty upon your doubts.
We kneel to praise him at the helm,
ignoring scripture’s holy facts.
And as he asked, we overwhelm
with violence as we give the axe.
Anne Reiner is a writer and biostatistician based in NYC.
