Admit What We Did – A Poem for Yom Kippur

(based on the text of Vidui)

We have been guilty

It wasn’t my idea to make this plural
to involve you in the guilt, but if
it weren’t for your shoulders I
would have floated off the earth.

We have betrayed

I know you expected better, and
frankly, so did I, but here we are
across each other’s lines,
red faced at what we have done.

We have stolen

Did I mention the three thousand
emails I took in the nineties before
anyone knew this was an issue.
I built my empire on those emails.

We have spoken falsely

As far as I know we’re speaking
falsely to each other right now.
How will either of us ever know?
My tongue and lips are criminals.

We have caused each other to sin

Remember what we made them do
in the backyard? We were just kids
but, we knew it was wrong.

We have caused others to do evil

It doesn’t count trying to redefine
what evil is. It doesn’t count just
because we weren’t caught.

We have had evil hearts

Isn’t it amazing the heart still beats
regardless of its intentions. We
sometimes rest on non consequences
and forget the color of our blood.

We have become violent

Our blood has boiled as our fists
gripped the steering wheel. We’re
lucky to be alive.

We have attached lies

Don’t get me started on
attachment issues.

We have advised evil

We can’t claim to have just been
following orders when so much
of it was our idea.

We have lied

For all you know, I could be
lying right now.

We have scoffed

It’s not illegitimate just because
they don’t arrange the chairs
the same way you arrange the chairs.

We have rebelled

At some point we have to realize
we all get oxygen the same way.
There’s no better way to take air
into our lungs. Get with the program.

We have been disobedient

We’re not even supposed to be
doing this right now. Airplane mode
is not optional, when you are in the sky.

We have been perverse

I could say one person’s perversion is
another person’s afternoon delight,
but I’d be missing the point.

We have transgressed

…and several other words that
begin with trans. Most of them
illegal in Kentucky.

We have persecuted

Despite our best efforts.
Passive aggressive is still
aggressive.

We have been stiff-necked

It’s not a medical condition.
We’ve wasted so much time making
no point at all.

We have been lawless

This is a civilized society.
Jaywalking is not a form of
passive resistance. I’ve already
told you to get with the program.

We have corrupted

…and we’ll never get that data back.
You can’t wash your physical media.
What's gone is gone.

We have committed abominations

Which sounds as bad as it is.
Anything with abom in it is something
that should be avoided at all costs.

We have gone astray

You’re allowed to go either way
when you reach the fork in the road.
But if you leave the road altogether
no-one can help you.

We have been led astray

Some of that is on them. But when you
identify as a sheep, someone will eventually
take all your wool.

We have turned away

Yes. But it only took one foot to pivot.
We could use the same one to turn back.
Let’s do it.