We Thought We Understood
The rules of the neighborhood
A Villanelle of Protest
(So, now we see what it is like to be ruled by a would-be king who does not understand the rules of the neighborhood — Author, residing in Florida, USA, the New World)
We thought we understood
Order, direction, stability,
The rules of the neighborhood.
Someone said that he could
Get away with everything,
We thought we understood.
And then he said we should
Silence our dreams of democracy,
The rules of the neighborhood.
They hailed the very good
That he alone would bring,
We thought we understood
Screwtape and his Wormwood,
A New World Board of Peace,
The rules for the neighborhood.
A flashback to our childhood,
He felt he should be king,
We thought we understood
The rules of the neighborhood.
“Empirically, human existence takes place in a context of order, direction, stability.”
Berger, Peter L.; Luckmann, Thomas. The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge (p. 51). Open Road Media. Kindle Edition.
“Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”
One question: How do we stop Screwtape now, and in a just and peaceful manner?
Thank you for taking the time to read! I deeply appreciate your support.
Copyright © 2026, Robert G. Metivier. All Rights Reserved.
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Great one! I distinctly remember this book on our bookshelf growing up. 📚
Thank you, Harley, for this.