Poetry in Truth

Normally poetry gets classified along with ballet and opera to me. It's not that I don't get the story or emotions being conveyed, but the whole rhyme and rhythm thing seems to me that it should be set to music. For some reason the impact of it being poetry seems to get lost on my ear. My loss no one else's and I recognize that.

But once in a while a poem transcends the medium to me and the message is so clear that I want to keep a copy of it. Here is one a new friend over on Topix posted and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So with a sincere Thank You to Lissa Marie who posted these words of Richard Bamford, here it is for you to enjoy.

My god can beat up your god.

Do you know his name? Sure you do. He talks to you every day. You could not live a normal life without him. You believe in him, whether you like it or not. Unless you abandon him completely, you cannot deny he exists.

My god is a more personal god than yours can ever be, for if you have enough sense to understand these words, my god lives within you. He lives within us all, to some degree. A heartbreaking few cannot understand him, but this is not their fault. The real tragedy is the multitudes who ignore much of his counsel, particularly when he questions your god too deeply.

My god has been around longer than your god. He was here before the many other gods that preceded your god. Though you will likely scoff at the notion, my god was the father of your god, as he was to all gods. But that was long ago when he was young and not yet sure of himself. Though many of your god's followers try to hold him down, my god grows stronger and more independent each day.

When your god expelled us from paradise for eating an apple, my god taught us to grow our own fruit.

When your god forbade knowledge, demanding we live in ignorance, my god created books.

When your god smote cities like a tantrum-prone child, my god helped to rebuild them.

When your god insisted the world was flat, my god showed his followers it was round, to their peril at the hands of your god's followers.

While your god watched in silence as children sickened and died, my god created medicines to make them well.

When your god winked and nodded at slavery, my god argued passionately against it.

While your god represses half the human race, my god considers woman to be the equal of man.

When your god only helps those who help themselves, my god rolls up his sleeves and actually does help until your god decides to join in, and then steals all the credit.

When your god inspired great buildings and great art, my god made them possible.

While your god says we are all born sinners, tainted before we even draw breath, my god says we are all born innocent; a clean slate with limitless potential.

While your god offers dubious allusions of an afterlife, my god provides for us here in this life.

While your god makes amazing promises, but offers not a shred of proof, my god performs amazing deeds, and the proof is there to be seen by all.

While your god demands blind faith and obsequious obedience, my god encourages questions, even about himself.

When your god says "Thou shalt not," my god says "You can do anything."

My god is reason. He does more in a day than your god will ever do.

I enjoyed it and I hope you did as well. Lissa Marie also sent me this link on Richard Bamford's work if you are interested. He has a few thought provoking limerick's on there as well.

As for the Ballet and Opera, I think it's more a matter of taste. I like to watch dancing, but the old fashioned me prefers something more classic than classical. The sheer athleticism in ballet dancers is incredible, but the dancing just doesn't move me. Opera is the same way. the talent is impressive, but the medium just sends shivers down my spine, the nails on a blackboard variety. My wife loves it, but I would rather watch an old movie musical than ballet or opera. It drives my wife nuts because she knows I love classical music and even ice skating. but prance out in the ballet slippers or take the deep breath of a soprano and I would rather be listening to Linda Eder or Brad Paisley!