Gather

Now children gather round, its time for some learning. Now gather the children round around the center of learning. Around the place and around the pole that rises from the center and from which our flag forever waves. Around the children gather the walls, heavy with brick and sealed against the air. Gather around the children walls and hold them tight in strictest embrace. Time for some learning. Time for some capitalist Christian infused indoctrination. Place your right hand over your heart. (Forever wave flag.) Ready, begin. Gather round children, it’s time for some sitting and some lining up, and some sitting and some lining up. Hear the bell ring. See our flag wave. See our Principal smile. See our walls shimmer in the noonday sun. Repeat after me:

I pledge allegiance
To the flag
Of the United States
Of America
And to the Republic
For which it stands
one nation
under god
under god
under god
One nation under
one true god
Indivisible
With liberty
And justice
For all
For all who pledge
Pledge allegiance
Under God.
Pledge allegiance under God.

Please be seated. You will raise your hand. You will not speak unless called upon. You will keep your hands feet and other objects to yourself. Ready, begin:
Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow.
Everywhere that Mary went her lamb was sure to go.
He followed her to school one day which was against the rules.
It made the children laugh and play to see a lamb at school.
They skewered it and roasted it over an open flame.
The teacher saw over it and supervised their game.
"Why does Mary love the lamb so?" the eager children cried.
"Well lamb flesh tastes so sweet you know." The teacher did reply .
"I’ll take a leg." Mary said and she began to smile.
Teacher carved the lamb right up grinning all the while.

Please rise. Put your right hand over your heart. Ready, begin:

I pledge allegiance
to the clan,
to the mutton chewing rosies,
pockets full
of dollar bills
worthless
fistfuls
of posies.
To one nation
under God.
With apple pie
And mutton for all

Yes gather round under a hungry God and there will be abundance for all who sit down at the king’s feast. Bones tossed to the dogs at his feet. There will be plenty for all who will please be seated. There will be reward for all who will please rise. There shall be peace for all who will place their right hand over their heart.
But what…What if we will not be seated?
Then you naughty kittens, you shall have no pie. Better to sit dears, see here, see here or your happiness will be lost.
Gather round the tables children and gather round the lambs with knives.
This is the learning time children, marching in straight lines to please be seated and ready begin. Gather round and take your seat under the rippling flag.

Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day
our daily bread.
And SLICE go the carving knives.
And Baaaaaaaaa cries the lamb.
And the walls tighten their grip,
sucking the last breath from the little children’s maw.