Stanza 1 refers to a friend of mine from the late 1990s. The second and third stanzas refer to a
loved one who emailed me after I announced I was an atheist. The fourth stanza refers to author
Joyce Meyers — the quotes are exact, from her book
Battlefield
of the Mind. There is no legitimate reason to stop thinking or reasoning, or any way in
which reason could lead to confusion.
Originally, there was one more stanza:
Anyone who demands a brain block
Is simply looking for a sale
If not you, then another sucker
To purchase their untrue tale
I changed it several times before finally removing it, including this version:
Seems like anyone who attempts
To circumvent a working brain
Must be selling something
About which I might complain
Neither attempt had the same flow as the rest of the poem, but both contained the thought that
inspired the entire thing. I’m reminded of salespeople and advertisers, who often appeal
to emotion or other techniques, all of which circumvent rational thinking, in an effort to
sell you a product. “Don’t worry about the gas mileage; just listen to this powerful
engine purr”, they’ll say. Or, “Does it really matter that children in labor camps
made this dress, when you look so good in it?”