330.365 - belief

I was telling him
what few things might be believed
"for instance, this rock," I said
"you can't walk through it
if you try to walk past it
without stepping over
it will trip you"
he frowned and shrugged
"that's what's wrong with you," he said
"you try to figure out what you can believe
and how you can believe it, that's so wrong!"
he swigged from his beer and shrugged again
"nobody cares, I mean, nobody else does
y'see?"  he waited for an answer
"we believe" he paused to let that sink in
then recognized he talked to a stone
he shrugged a third time and explained some more
"we believe, everything, that rock, those swings
the street and those parked cars, the stop sign,
but we believe too what politicians say
and preachers, teachers even, it's easier that way
nuthin worries us, we hear no contradictions
then you, you come along and annoy us
a person could die your way, you should try mine"
he opened another beer and handed it to me
we watched the clouds change colors in the sunset