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
and it came to pass
long after
the ark
of the covenant
and
the holy grail
had been offered
to unite the world
that the pharisees
from each religion
and
the heretics of humanity
from each government
made a pilgrimage
as the new year began
to the canton of zurich
and beneath the shadows
of the valley
and
in darkness of their souls
they moved in unison
like an invading army
into an unholy chapel
each connected together
by an umbilical cord
of greed and deceit
and they bowed down
and offered
human sacrifices
before the altar
praying to
their
true
god
money
Read Between the Minds 