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God/he, an Excerpt

The following poem was selected as for Third Prize in the 2004 Odes of March Poetry Contest, now known as Utmost Christian Writers. The poem is ©2004 Andrew Kooman and cannot be printed or distributed in any form without permission from the author.

GOD
i.

he’s a miserable being
stuck with the knowledge
of their secret sin
a doctor who
treats chlamydia
before lunch
when he closes his eyes
he cannot
shake
the image of the gunshot wound
to the head of their whole race
he cannot wash his collar
or chin
splattered as they are
with blood
he’s an unhappy being
with a front row seat to
madness

ii.

love
what a dangerous thing
to put in their hands
that could
tear apart the world
with one small touch

iii.

from the looks of it
you don’t seem a vulnerable
roughed-up God
one small bird fallen from its nest
feathers plucked
mercilessly
by the pastor’s
son down the street

iv.

he could kill you with one short breath
snap your bones like celery
he could locate your heart
and give it a final, terrible blow

v.

he is capable of such kind things
a gentle hand that does not fear
the boundary of touch
he breaches cold pools of isolation
softly nudging the soul to hope again

vi.

and you put your
thumb on it
a strong
jointed thumb
turned it
deeply into
the grain of my
flesh
kneaded sore
muscle like
dough

vii.

what confidence
you must have
in your
name
that you
would allow
silence