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19th September, 2025

Friday Poem – ‘Testimony’ by Alison Binney

Photo showing sunlight streaming through the imposing windows of a church.

This week’s Friday Poem is ‘Testimony’ by Alison Binney from her collection The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning. Alison was recently announced as one of four Gladstone’s Library Writers in Residence for 2026!

Testimony
you have a hole in your
soul your breasts belong to
your future husband we
had a board meeting and
decided that you can no
longer serve you’re not as
well-dressed as I thought
you would be that lifestyle
makes me want to take a
shower your life is an
abomination I love you
very much I’ve stopped shopping at that supermarket that shows two men
cooking lasagne together in their home because I think they’re normalising
something disgusting we don’t wave flags and hold street parades for proud
burglars maybe if you dressed more feminine and wore lipstick the way you use
love is far from the Christian way you have the theology of a five year old gay
people are the devil’s droppings we’d like you to step down from children’s
work it might be allowed but it’s not God’s best life for you my son is a policeman
and those gays are always trying to tell him they’re victims and he says it’s
so annoying is it possible
you were dropped on your
head at birth Jesus did not
accept everyone when you
celebrate holy communion
it turns into the body and
blood of the devil I have
a duty of care to the
congregation you’re only
half a person the way you
live is abhorrent to God
but you’re always
welcome if you follow
this path you will live a
very lonely life we love
you and are happy for you
to continue coming to
church but we don’t think it
appropriate for you to
speak can I pray for you?