Effect and Cause

Intro

(I wrote this in 2014. I think it’s an attempt at poetry, which explains all the repetition. Unfinished, but I like it.)

When I was a little boy, I watched the two palm trees next door waving and then I felt the wind. Only later did I find out that it was the wind that caused the trees to wave.

We think we decide to do things only to discover that we do things and then decide to do them.

Because we believe in God, we are taught to pray to him. Mike explained that because he had to pray, he had to believe in God.

…….

The trees waved, making the wind blow.

A Jew in a prison camp thought and thought and finally remembered that she had been inpolite to Mr Krause.

The student talking to the campus student judiciary was asked what she had worn to get raped.

Descarted failed to prove that God exists, so I don’t know why I should pray. Mike works in hospice and has to pray, so God has to exist.

………

Effect and Cause

Because the trees move, the wind blows. Because she had failed to say “Hello” to Mr. Krause, Sophie deserved to be in prison camp. Because she had worn a short dress, Susan was raped. Because we eat animals, they can’t feel or think. Because we don’t like gay marriage, God doesn’t like it. Because we pledge allegiance, we love our country. Because the popular kids are social, I must be intellectual. Because Mike, who works in hospice, has to pray, God must exist. Because effect follows cause, I have to write a poem. The evidence keeps piling up.

………

Effect and Cause

The wind makes trees move

When the trees move, the wind blows.

Sophie was not responsible for being in prison camp

Because Sophie was in prison camp, she had done something wrong.

Tom raped Susan because he had the power to do so.

Because Tom had raped Susan, she must have made him do it.

Because animals don’t feel or think, it’s okay to eat them.

We eat animals, so they must not feel or think.

We don’t like gay marriage, so God can’t, either. Because we pledge allegiance, we love our country. I am an intellectual because those other kids are popular. God must exist because Mike has to pray. When cause follows effect, you can’t argue with my reasoning.

The evidence keeps piling up.

………

Effect and Cause

Trees flap their leaves to make the wind blow. Max didn’t tip his hat to Mr Kraus, so he deserved to be in prison camp. Susan wore a short skirt. You were forced to rape her. Animals can’t think or feel because we eat them. God doesn’t approve of gay marriage because we don’t. We love our country because we pledge allegiance to a flag. Other kids are more popular than we are, so we’re more intelligent than they are. God exists because you have to pray for both the living and the dead. Because there is evil, there must be life-after-death.

Effect and Cause

Because I did that, I wanted to. Because the trees move, the wind blows. Because Sophie had failed to say “Hello” to Herr Bauman, she was in the prison camp. Because she had worn a short dress, Susan was raped. Because we eat animals, they can’t feel or think. Because we don’t like gay marriage, God is against it. Because we pledge allegiance, we love our country. Because the popular kids are social, I’m an intellectual. Because the hospice worker has to pray, God exists. Because this is not a story, it’s a poem.