religious

by

translation please…

now
for a while
I was certain
that god
spoke latin
i mean
why else
would they teach it
in almost every school
but
overtime
i began to think
since all our money
said
in god we trust
that it must be
english
but which dialect
because given
all the harsh words
between religious folks
surely there’s a difference
between southern
and
northern
ways of speaking
but the problem
became even more confusing
when I realized
that people
all over the world
were praying
in their own language
surely
most of them must be wrong
given all the world conflicts
so i’m certain
there must be just one language
we must use
to get through to god
but
what language

by

of this i believe…

all the words
and verses had not changed
he had said these words a thousand times
and a thousand times he said them with faith
but today
he felt as if he were just an actor
one waiting for godot
staring out into the sea of souls
some lost among the coral reefs of disbelief
seeking to find the beacon of truth
that would free them from themselves
others
too sure of what they knew
dawned pious smiles when he said
what they wanted to hear
otherwise
they frowned at him
as he stood in the pulpit
he wondered
could he say those words
without
his faith intact
if they sensed his doubt
would they rise up from the pews
and proclaim him a heretic
or claim that their faith was undaunted
by what they had seen in the world
had they studied the word
as a lover studies their love
they would understand its history
but they do not know or care
who the scribes were
those founders of this society of believers
the codependency of this relationship
means he dares not tell them the truth
his cross would be that of the malefactor
who did not repent
but this man has done nothing
his questions have come with age
and studies to find true meaning
just to answer those daunting questions
formed from so many years of religious grief
wondering how men meeting in secret
could design and decide
on what was best for mankind
a committee
producing  sacred writings
marketing their beliefs as if for profit
he wonders am i now a non-believer
or am i like a lover
whose love has waned
over the years
progessing from insatiable passion
to a deeper love and understanding
or is this grounds
for divorce…

For those who wish to read the trigger for this, read: Non-Believing Clergy.
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/Non-Believing-Clergy.pdf