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Do Not Believe In God

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