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CONSIDERING A LEAF AND STUFF
MUST God actually exist
in his heaven far above
in order that mankind
can show each other love?
And must we build with sticks and stones
places to go and talk with him
bathed in shifting stained glass light
or at night before some altar, dim?
Why must he even have a name
and be worshiped by adoring crowd
which speak his words in unison
beseeching his favor out loud?
Beliefs are always personal.
I think his spirit's not just here and there,
that if he in truth exists
then he must be everywhere.
For those who refute beliefs
who protest so vociferously,
why shouldn't it still be enough
to think of just the possibility?
Style / type:
Free verse
Review Request (Intensity):
I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back
Editing stage:
(c) Neopoet.com. No copyright is claimed by Neopoet to original member content.
Comments
vandiemenspeak
Sat, 2015-10-03 20:47
In the spirit of Larkin....
I commend this work to everyone Mr Scribbler.Spare and honest language use. My father was an atheist, my Mother a Catholic, yet belief or disbelief was never shoved upon us. Which is how it should be, you find your own peace with the Universe. Have you ever read/heard read Larkin's great work "Church going "? Itself a double meaning, and at the same time contemplative and respectful. It's the best poem written on the decline of organised religion in the west, bar none, read and listen here:
http://www.artofeurope.com/larkin/lar5.htm
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w5aKknj-q3o
Chris Hall - Tasmania
Grossbooted draymen rolled barrels dullthudding out of Prince's stores and bumped them up on the brewery float. On the brewery float bumped dullthudding barrels rolled by grossbooted draymen out of Prince's stores.
scribbler
Sun, 2015-10-04 15:12
hi K
For me spirituality is a very private thing. Like most of my generation around here I started life attending church almost every Sunday. But gradually some things started bothering me. The preachers all said help the poor but the tithes went mainly to salaries and building funds. It seemed most church members thought of church more as being a place to conduct business or a social club. I became disenchanted with organized religion. If God and his relationship with folks was direct and one on one why gather in elaborate buildings and do so much in unison? Then one day a few years later I was sitting on a deer stand and no deer were around (the usual for me lol) and I started looking, really looking around and my attention focused on a single leaf. Already turned yellow and likely soon to fall. And I thought about that leaf. Each year it was replaces and each year it was unique and went through its own life story. A story preset by someone or some thing. And it dawned on me God is not restricted to some pile of bricks and his love not retracted to only those who are in that pile. He's everywhere all the time. I could worship his a well or maybe better while sitting among His creations than I could sitting on some pew in some stuffy building created by man. And I needed no intermediary to reveal what was true............stan
author commentweirdelf
Sun, 2015-10-04 11:30
Please take a seat and maybe swallow a couple of beta-blockers
I really like this. Although, naturally I disbelieve in any form of spirituality, it makes sense within its internal logic and is expressed with lucidity and compassion.
I won't add any of my ideas. It is well written. No technical crit, I tried, really I tried! [grins]
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
scribbler
Sun, 2015-10-04 15:17
Hi Jess
I don't know if they're beta blocks but it Is about time for me to swallow a nerve pain pill lol. Good to see you are back up and about and I Am aware of your lack of religious bent.One day you might just realize that not everything happens entirely by chance and that will be your first step away from denial. But until that happens it's still good to have you around and if You find no structural fault with this I'm pleased..............stan
author commentweirdelf
Sun, 2015-10-04 15:43
Let's not go there,
I purposely refrained from doing so in my comment to focus on the poetry.
It is not denial, it is a complete lack of evidence.
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
scribbler
Sun, 2015-10-04 18:18
we won't get into an
argument on that point but I assume you would like to have me "see the light" according to your ideas on religion as much as I'd like you to do so about mine. Didn't mean to get preachy. .......stan
author commentThEdges
Fri, 2015-10-09 10:02
"Considering"
Hi scribbler,
Your poem says it so very well. Belief/spirituality is fine, but the second it becomes organized religion, the problems start! My daughter is an atheist, but she's found a 'church' that stresses: we aren't going to tell you to "believe like we do," just believe what you believe and celebrate together with us. Our beliefs are different, but we do accept each other, and believe that all of us are doing the best we can with what we have. The word God is very rarely spoken....very interesting, to me.
scribbler
Fri, 2015-10-09 10:20
Hello!
I abandoned organized religion years ago. Why do i need somebody else to tell me what god should mean to me? Thanks for coming by and glad you enjoyed the visit.........stan
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