Notre Dame was aflame and the nave spire’s gone
The foundation remains and some structures are strong
Much precious has perished; old art gone to ashes
This holy cathedral’s withstood many clashes
It now is symbolic of Catholic division
The clashes of popes having differing visions
The hoary Pope Benedict, silence he broke
Upset with Pope Frances, quite clearly he wrote
His reign’s been too liberal, his edicts to tame
The rampant sex scandal, on this he laid blame
Although such depravity has deeper causes
The papal dispute’s part of much larger forces
The ethos is changing, the me generation,
The boomers are leaving; extended vacations
The new discontent-ers want backward to move
It’s liberal progressiveness they don’t approve
And keep nation’s borders closed to immigration
Don’t let all those lesser folks enter the nation
And like Notre Dame all the West World still smolders
The ethos emerging depends on beholders
The new Notre Dame will appear like the old
But with modern elements throughout its fold
Eventually, too, a new ethos as such
Will likewise congeal; its facade, the same touch
But beneath the surface new strength will emerge
As into the future new elements merge
4/17/19
