Poetry, February 2016

I Was Stupid

To all who’ve been so good to me
While I so ignorantly sat,
Who offered love so selflessly:
At last I thank you for all that.

And to those who showed me kindness,
When o’er my dumb head it went,
Who nonetheless despite my blindness,
Blessed my coarseness: I repent.

I’d thank you if you were around,
But since you’re mostly not these days
My gratitude, which knows no bounds,
Must be expressed in other ways.

So this will be my aspiration:
To favor those without a clue,
(Like me) and thus, for life’s duration,
To behave a bit like you.

Love

It was over coffee
This morning
That God decided
To break his long silence:
“You love me,”
He declared,
“Only as much as
You love that person
You hate the most.”

“That would be interesting,”
I said, reaching for
The non-dairy creamer,
“If I believed
In you, but
Since I don’t . . . ”

“That’s OK,” he interrupted,
“Neither do I.
But don’t let my existence or
Lack thereof get in the way
Of understanding
This matter of
Ultimate importance.”

“What about the folks
I love the most?”
I asked, “You know, the ones
Where the very thought
Of them makes my heart sing.
Where do they fit in this scheme?”

“They’re the
Consolation prize,”
He said.
“Pass the sugar?”

Unsolicited Advice

Stop waiting
For the heavens 
To open,
And you’ll discover
That they were
Open all along.
Stop waiting
To meet someone
Who knows God
Better than you do,
And you’ll
Discover that
Even those who do
Don’t.
Stop waiting
For enlightenment.
Instead,
Stop waiting
To be kind,
Even if you’re
Inexperienced
At it,
Because
Every moment
Is a starting place
For learning it.
Stop waiting