Morality being the intoxicant that it is,
You find there are holes punched by awl in
The Bible Belt to accommodate the prong
Of hypocrisy. For goodness slakes a thirst that
Knows not the bounds of a dry county or town.
Ordinance and line have been drawn to make
Inconvenience convenient. Roads that lead back
To abstinence are clearly marked by crosses
In the barren ditches and culverts, the curves
Of the arc of righteousness carved round with
Dangerous swerves. It is staggering to think
That you can drink what you could not buy--
Longnecks cloaked in brown-paper sackcloth
Or discreet cocktails stirred and sipped at home.
Bruce Morton divides his time between Montana and Arizona. He is the author of two poetry collections: Planet Mort (2024) and Simple Arithmetic & Other Artifices (2014). His poems have appeared in numerous online and print venues. He was formerly dean at the Montana State University library.
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