Dueling Christian-Jewish Verse

 

The protagonists are The Washington PostÕs weekly humor columnist, Gene Weingarten, and yours truly.  First, there was the email I sent him on May 15:

 

Hi Gene, 

 

On the subject of todayÕs column, check these out:

 

Epistemological Mystery

 

Ontological verse.

 

And as a bonus:  April in Washington

 

I think your comic poems are really great, the best thing you do.  I even briefly stop missing Dave Barry when I read them.

 

Dave

 

WeingartenÕs column replaced that of the generally much funnier Barry in the Sunday Washington Post Magazine when the latter retired some years ago.

 

I got no response—at least none directly—but my message to Weingarten might have produced some result, as reflected in my May 22 email to him in reaction to his next column:

 

Well, it looks like with my praise of your poetry I have moved you to do some more of them with this weekÕs Rhymes Against Humanity. (That was the title in the print edition.)  You, in turn, have inspired me to attempt a ÒpokeÓ of my own:

 

A smart young Jewish couple

Was strolling by a church

When a sign they saw out front

Stopped them in a lurch.

 

ÒCome in and be baptized,

And we wonÕt make you rich,

But weÕll give you a hundred dollars.Ó

Read the enticing pitch.

 

The man dropped all resistance,

And was forthwith drawn inside

Against the grave forebodings

Of his much more prudent bride.

 

Snapped she upon his emergence,

ÒDid you get your hundred, honey?Ó

Asked he, ÒWhatÕs with you people

That you only think of money?Ó

 

Dave

 

The ball is back in his court.

 

David Martin

May 22, 2016

 

Addendum

 

Weingarten has shown himself to be a good sport with a good sense of humor.  ÒA good one,Ó was his short email reply to me today. 

 

Having apparently passed the test with his new ÒpokeÓ art form, I have asked him to have a shot at mine, the Twitter trifle.  ItÕs back in his court.  This request might test his sportsmanship a bit too much.

 

David Martin

May 24, 2016

 

 

 

 

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