{"id":2208,"date":"2022-12-21T12:40:28","date_gmt":"2022-12-21T20:40:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stevegillard.com\/erleichda\/?p=2208"},"modified":"2022-12-21T12:40:28","modified_gmt":"2022-12-21T20:40:28","slug":"100-proof","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stevegillard.com\/erleichda\/2022\/12\/21\/100-proof\/","title":{"rendered":"100-Proof"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

100-Proof<\/strong><\/p>\n

I searched
\nin vain
\nfor the origin
\nof this pernicious
\nphraseology:<\/p>\n

\u201cPrepare to Meet
\nyour Maker.\u201d<\/p>\n

This hanging
\nthreat of
\njudgment
\nthat has been
\ndistilled to a
\ntoxic brew and
\nserved to every
\nSoul,
\nin one flavor or
\nanother,
\nsometimes by
\nfathers and mothers,
\nsometimes teachers,
\noften paycheck writers,
\nand gangs of
\npreachers.<\/p>\n

100-Proof Fear.<\/p>\n

The closest
\nI came to
\nthe roots
\nof this poison<\/p>\n

were planted in a
\nGarden of Eden,
\ntended by a
\nMaker
\nimagined to be
\nangered by a
\ncouple
\nof humans
\naudacious enough
\nto smack
\ntheir lips
\non forbidden
\nfruit.<\/p>\n

I know
\na better story,<\/p>\n

of a renegade
\nson,
\nprobably drunk
\non Fear,
\nwho fled home
\nwith full pockets,
\nonly to come
\nshambling
\nback,
\nempty pockets
\nnow filled with
\npig pen filth,<\/p>\n

Prepared to
\nMeet his Maker,<\/p>\n

who came
\nbearing gifts
\nof Welcome Robe
\nand Honor Ring,
\nand dance
\nmusic and
\ngorgeous
\npocket fillers
\nof every kind.<\/p>\n

I wonder if I\u2019m
\nPrepared To
\nMeet My Maker
\nand drink<\/p>\n

100-Proof Love.<\/p>\n

(Photo by Nathan Dumlao; UnSplash)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  100-Proof I searched in vain for the origin of this pernicious phraseology: \u201cPrepare to Meet your Maker.\u201d This hanging threat of judgment that has been distilled to a toxic brew and served to every Soul, in one flavor or another, sometimes by fathers and mothers, sometimes teachers, often paycheck writers, and gangs of preachers. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-poems"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t