Do Not Believe In God

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  • God poetry is one of my favorite genres, although I have to confess to being an atheist. Why does an atheist write about God? Because the idea of God is an important one. And the experience of "God" can be life changing - more so than mere belief. That is the point of this first poem.

    Do Not Believe In God

    Do not believe in god
    Do not have faith

    SEE GOD
    in stars and sunlight
    and the face of your lover

    HEAR GOD
    in wind and waves
    and the music of the birds

    TASTE GOD
    in berries and beer
    and meals eaten with friends

    SMELL GOD
    in flowers and forests
    and the air after a storm

    FEEL GOD
    in snow and sand
    and the warmth of a fire

    KNOW GOD in love and longing
    and your hunger for beauty

    RETURN
    again and again
    returnto these things

    FORGET YOUR CHURCHES
    They are cages for God
    that capture only humans

    BELIEF IS HERESY
    FAITH IS IGNORANCE
    And you are killing love
    and truth and beauty
    every time you speak his name

    God, the one people believe in, is but an invention of man, and as such will change with time. Already, the God of old that said to kill witches (Exodus 22) and ordered the killing of women and children (Joshua 6) is growing into something more loving. To paraphrase Corinthians, "when I was a child, I believed in a small god, when grew up, I gave up childish gods." This poem started from that idea.

    A Child God

    God is but a child
    Playing with insects.
    Sometimes he hates you,
    Sometimes he hurts you

    But give him your love
    Because he needs it.
    And forgive him always;
    He will learn from your example.

    We do not value a child less
    Because he is not yet a man.
    We nurture him;
    We know that he will grow.

    So do not worry
    Thinking that we are godless.
    We have a child-god;
    We know that he will grow.

    Steve Gillman has been playing with poetry for thirty years. He and his wife Ana created the game "Deal-A-Poem," which can be accessed for free at: http://www.dealapoem.com

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