System of Belief

My poor friend Michael's system of belief
Has much too strange a structure to survive,
Much less, in the raw light of reason, thrive.
I can't agree that actors come to grief
With personalities subsumed and chief,
Causing a split between the Brits who strive
To charm, ridiculously, and the drive
Of cynical Americans. This is too brief.

I think the truth is even more complex:
Take terrapins and cacti, gently weave
A Shirt of Accident, tear off the sleeve,
Throw in a few stray thoughts about bad sex,
Loose trousers, gravel pits, Oedipus Rex,
And wine gums, and you'll know what I believe.