Thomas Merton Fairy Tale

Merton slipped and had a fall
And landed on his head.
A "banana peel" was introduced
Long after he was dead.

The slippage didn't make much sense;
It could give a skeptic pause,
So a prop was trotted out
And offered as the cause.

For almost half a century
The subterfuge held sway.
The men who took Tom Merton's life
Had everything their way.

Now the veil's been torn away;
The crime has been revealed,
While his "devotees" act as though
They wish it were concealed.

You'd think that they would surely know
That this makes them look bad.
Are they just embarrassed at
How badly they've been had?

David Martin

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