god

by

transubstantiation…

the words
of
the poet
become
more
than
vague
mental images
they
are
laughter
clearly heard
resonating
against
the walls
of life’s prison
they
are also
a lover’s touch
a salty tear
shed
with death’s
arrival
or
flesh
burning with passion
or
the scent
of fear
on a dark night
the smell
of
decaying bodies
on
the battlefield
or
children
crying
in the corner
of
an empty room
the flow
of
warm blood
from
a wrist
opened
to let
the evil out
lines
of words
and
carefully counted
syllables
rhymed
and
unrhymed
like
life

by

hypothesis on redundancy…

each night
the same prayers
were said
before
meals
and
bed
the child wondered
in his head
whether or not
god
had a hearing problem
and so
like with his grandmother
things needed
to be
repeated
or
whether god
was like
uncle joe
terribly forgetful
needing
to be reminded
daily
of the chores
assigned to him
by grandfather
perhaps
neither
of those
were true
perhaps
god was
an obstinate child
refusing to respond
to requests in prayers
unless
the number of requests
equaled
the critical breaking point
of his parents’ patience
that
breaking point
just before
unwarranted punishment
that
seemed to be
the most logical conclusion
and
indeed
one
he could
identify with