By order of the Inquisition, I acknowledge the charges brought against me… And their… misinterpretations. I hereby offer my regret, For a joke they won’t forget, One that dared to slightly bend A faith that cannot understand. It was a laugh, a subtle play, A second meaning gone astray, A step aside, a twist of mind… Declared heretical—left undefined. They searched my thoughts, examined my plea, And doubt alone sealed heresy. It was irony, But no one tried to see Beyond the lines they chose to blame, The hidden truth behind the game. The Inquisition decreed My guilt in thought, in word, in deed, For in their truth so absolute, All must be plain… or rendered mute. Yes, I showed absurd designs, A little warped, beyond the lines, But all in jest, a crooked view, A foolish joke, nothing true. I praised no gods of dark design, No whispered rites, no hidden sign, Yet irony becomes a threat Where minds refuse to see. The verdict fell, so cold, so clean: “Heresy found in what lies between.” It was irony, But no one tried to see Beyond the lines they chose to blame, The hidden truth behind the game. The Inquisition decreed My guilt in thought, in word, in deed, For in their truth so absolute, All must be plain… or rendered mute. Must every word be stamped and signed? “Warning: irony inside”? Must I request authority Before I dare ambiguity? For in this world so stark and sure, They judge before they understand, And understanding is a crime When judgment works in half the time. Charge : Heresy. Cause : Use of irony. Sentence : Immediate purification. It was irony, A crime too subtle to perceive, To think beyond what words display Is reason enough to burn away. I’m sorry that I ever tried To make them laugh… and think inside, But here the verdict stands agreed: Nuance itself is heresy. Apology : accepted. Meaning : rejected. Heretic : confirmed.
