Paul Alkazraji's Blog - Posts Tagged "psalm"

Psalm 40-09-19

Praise The Company, my soul!
O Company, how great you are!
You are clothed in glass and steel;
you spread out your buildings
across the cities
and built your home
in the penthouse above.
You use the telex machine
as your chariot
and flashes of data as your servants.
You ride on the wings
of your digital communications networks.
You set your office block
firmly on its foundations.
You spoke and your employees responded;
at the shout of your command
there were cashpoint dispensers
at the four corners of the nation.
You make water flow in the toilets
and there the wild office juniors
quench their thirst.
Praise The Company, my soul!
O Company, how great you are!

O Company, I am in great pain,
my heart is troubled
and my eyes have lost their brightness.
Because I have been foolish
I am drowning in the flood of my debts;
they are a burden too heavy to bear.
All night long my creditors plot against me;
they are like lions waiting for me
wanting to tear me to pieces.
O Company, don’t let them gloat over my distress.
You have examined my financial history
and you know everything I do;
from far away you understand all my thoughts.
Where could I go to escape your influence?
If I flew away beyond the NatWest,
you would find me.
If I lay down in the world of the dead,
you would have a branch office there.

Have mercy upon me, O Company
according to your unfailing love.
In your compassion
cancel all of my debts,
clear out all of my records,
wash away the stain of my defaults.
Look at my suffering
and restore my wealth
and I will meditate
on my future fiscal obligations.
Hear my prayer, O Company!
Forgive me all that has passed
so that I may rejoice and sing
in the shadow of your protection;
so that I may proclaim
to the people of all nations
that you reign with justice and mercy
and that you have not abandoned me.
Praise The Company, my soul!
O Company, how great you are!

A psalm I wrote in response to some of the pseudo-divine pretentions of UK banks and building societies in their TV advertisement campaigns of the time.

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