Saturday, March 18, 2023

mary karr | the voice of god


               Ninety percent of what’s wrong with you
                  could be cured with a hot bath,
               says God from the bowels of the subway.
                  But we want magic, to win
               the lottery we never bought a ticket for.
                  (Tenderly, the monks chant, embrace
               the suffering.) The voice of God does not pander,
                  offers no five year plan, no long-term
               solution, nary an edict. It is small & fond & local.
                  Don’t look for your initials in the geese
               honking overhead or to see thru the glass even
                  darkly. It says the most obvious crap—
               put down that gun, you need a sandwich