There once was a man
Who told stories on mountains
Before all great feasts
Underlings would gather round
To hear the seated prophet
And watch his big book open
They would listen with reverence
As spells were expounded
And the whole world outside his realm, cursed
Every mind was amazed
Every ear refreshed
Every eye dazzled by his authority
Because only he knew how to reform everything
His abilities, his somber tone
Crystal clear interpretation
Archaic application
Every true daughter fawned
Every doting disciple stood attentive
Even the queen mother by his side
No underling dared to question the prophet’s word
Each was fitly framed like apples of gold
In settings of silver
They all knew their history
And what happens to those who fall
They remembered the first man on a mountain long ago
He, too, knew how to reform everything
A reptilian once approached festivities
Spoke rashly, argued, and berated the first man
After listening to him read and teach for only ten minutes
Suddenly, a spell burst forth
Ex opere operato
Suddenly, earth opened its mouth
Swallowing the serpentine beast whole
Demons dragged him down to the depths below
Torturing him until that last Great Day
An important lesson was forever to be remembered
Such temporal torments are only the beginning
Of eternal end and unmitigated sorrow
For those who question the prophet
But God, in his great mercy, spared compliant underlings that day
And so, we, too, listen and learn, and learn to listen
From the prophet and his word
Only in recent years
has there been one other challenger like the slithering fiend
Another recreant, full of lies and popish schemes
That one addressed the prophet candidly in his own home
Much to everyone's surprise
The demoniac received mercy
He knew how to reform everything
After the offense was made
A time was allotted
For prayerful consideration
A child’s cross brought to the table
Would become the final straw
As the timer drew nigh to its chime
Opportunity for repentance waned
And waned
And waned
The heart continued to harden
And harden
Until
Everything within became reformed like him
Then the prophet, rich in mercy
And abundant in redemption
For his great love wherewith he loved his underlings
Quickened him
And made him sit
in the heavenly places
So that in the ages to come
He might show the exceeding riches
Of his favor
In his kindness toward those
He hath foreordained
That they should walk in his ways