File:L'ange du mal (Joseph Geefs) cropped.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

L’ange du mal

Joseph Geef’s sculpture of the devil was installed in St. Paul’s Cathedral in Liege, Belgium in 1842, but church officials thought his depiction “too sublime” and it was removed to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts.

It all started when the big boss
kicked me out on my ass.
I admit I was a little pissed
and did some not so nice things.
Others are forgiven.
Me? No such luck.
Work has been hard to get since.
This last job was such an easy gig.
Sit there and be the face of evil they said.
Kind of a scared straight thing they said.
Now, fired and out of work again.
Too sensual they said.
Poor virgins are too excited they said.
Maybe they felt guilty fantasizing,
kneeling before me,
drooling over my chiseled abs,
and then couldn’t keep
their hands off altar boys.
Not hideous enough they said.
Evil is supposed to terrify they said.
Take it to the museum they said.
Hell, I am the face of evil.
Don’t they know evil
is beautiful and seductive?
Evil doesn’t walk around
carrying a sign that says:
I’m ugly, stay away.
Maybe I’ll give that museum gig a shot.
At least that way people would know
what uptight pricks they are
over at the cathedral.

©2020 Kenneth W. Arthur