—MO January 1, 1972 No.196—GP

(Paper Love)

P. B.Box 31, London WC2E, or BP 75123 Paris Cedex 03 France

The streets of the city were littered with thousands of "Agape" tracts, passed out by some group, but discarded by the crowd.—Why so many thrown away?—How would you have felt had you been a hopeless‚ homeless hippie handed such hash by a well heeled huckster still wreathed in a stale smile?

I was hungry—

You gave me a piece of paper!

I was thirsty—

You gave me a piece of paper!

I was cold

You gave me a piece of paper!

I was sick—

You gave me a piece of paper!

I was lonely—

You gave me a piece of paper!

I had no place to sleep—

You gave me a piece of paper!

I had no place to go—

You gave me a piece of paper!

I longed for love—

You only gave a piece of paper!

You talked about love—

But only gave a piece of paper!

You said you loved me—

But only gave a piece of paper!

You said God loved me—

But only gave a piece of paper!

Your paper said God loves me—

But it's only a piece of paper!

I can't eat or drink it!

It won't even keep me warm

When I lie in the street to sleep!

Can't talk to it, can't feel it,

Can't go home or sleep with it!

—It's only a piece of paper!

You said you loved me—

But didn't ask me home with you!

You said God loved me—Where is He?

Can't see love in you or your paper!

You walked on smiling, still saying‚

"I love You"!—But left me with paper!

Left me hungry, still thirsty and cold,

Sick, homeless, unloved and alone—

With nothing but pieces of paper!

No wonder I can't dig your God!

No wonder I can't dig your love!

No wonder I can't dig your paper

No wonder I just threw it down

And stepped and spat on your paper!

I felt like throwing you down

To spit on your kind a caper!

Is this what you Christians call Love?

It's only a cold piece of paper!

This is not love!—This is litter!

Even the street sweeper won't like it!

You made his life all the harder—

Just like you've made my heart!

Those empty words from your empty heart.

Were just like your cold piece of paper!

Where is your love?—Can I see it?

Feel it. sleep with it and keep me warm!

But it's just like your cold piece of paper:

Hard and cold as a lifeless form!

Where is your God! Can I see Him?

I need love and a place to live!

Or is He like you and your paper,

With not a thing more to give!

If He is, I don't want to know Him!

It's all just a big bunch of trash!

If He's not then why don't you show Him!

Instead of these papers you stash!

I think that He must be quite like you.

If He is, then you both make me sick!

I couldn't love Him and don't want you‚

For my life would be too hard to lick.

I don't need your pieces of paper

I need love, life, and somewhere to live!

You can keep your cold pieces of paper

If that's all that you have to give!

I can't stand your pieces of paper!

I can't take your phoney kind of love!

If that's all that you have to offer,

You know where you can give it a shove!

Can't stomach your sloppy "agape"!

It nauseates, slop that it is!

Your paper's not e'en good for wiping

Whenever I give it the biz.

So why don't we leave off this business

And can this thing you call love!

If this is all you can give me,

I don't want your God up above!

So this is your sloppy "agape"!

Even the accent's in the wrong place.

I tell You, it's good for nothing!

So wipe that sick grin off your face!

It's not worth the paper you've printed!

It's not worth the trouble you've gone to.

If you can't give me something that's minted

I haven't got much to hang onto!

Your kind of paper is worthless!

It's not even made at the mint!

As for me, it's a paper that's worth less

than a paper that's run out of print.

I don't need your pieces of paper!

—They're not good for anything!

What I need is love, life and family

And all of the food you can bring!

Give me drink that is warm for my tummy,

And a warm woolen bag for my bed.

I'll tell you it's really not funny

When you haven't a place for your head!

So away with your sloppy "agape"!

Away with your love that's not real!

Away with religion that's rotten,

And give me some love I can feel!—MO