Ho Telōnai Kai Ho Hamartōloi

What is a pack of tax collectors (telōnai) called?
after Luke 15:1

Murder of crows,
Flamboyance of flamingos, 
Parliament of owls,
Pride of lions!

Humans of a certain kind–
Can they, should they also
Have their gatherings
Uniquely named?

If we borrow from the animals’ names,
Those tax collectors Jesus loved 
Perhaps could be a brood, or obstinacy,
See them answer to “swarm”, or “shadow”, or “smack”,
Are they a plague, a pack,
A pledge, a quiver?
Unkindness, crash, shiver, or stench?

All those “notorious sinners” (Hamartōloi)
Who were gathered ‘round Jesus–
What might we call them
That’s better than those old Greek words?
And maybe better than those belonging to
Vipers and bison,
Bees and jaguars, jellyfish,
Locusts and dogs,
Wasps and cobras,
Of ravens, and rhinos, of sharks and skunks.

I love, love, love 
These strange words we chose
For animals of a kind so close 
At one time.

These ones here 
In the Bible on my lap
Are named in Christ’s kindness
Most uniquely
As being near.

So, I name you Near Ones,
You, who could be judged alone by your names;
And ask only that you call me by the same.

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You can listen to me read it here:
https://soundcloud.com/benwhitepoetry/what-is-a-pack-of-tax