Some are industrious and culturally reticent,
but some seem so very unctuous;
friendly but somewhat oily and presumptuous.
Perhaps it works in these parts so Dutch
where people talk about loving so much
only to talk about each other behind their backs
without much fuss,
then praise the Lord with harmony four-part
and sing out loudly, “How Great Thou Art.”
Such are the ways of some transplants van Raalte
who just love to point out others’ lives so faulty
which is their strange way of feeling constructive
about themselves in spite of ways sometimes destructive.
If only they could experience the sola gratia
they profess along with sola fide and sola scriptura,
but it is hard to teach old dogs new tricks
and most settle for punch card games of pick-up sticks
to be played on Monday through Saturday
but never, ever on the Lord’s day Sunday.