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Post by michaelgallatin on Nov 16, 2011 15:03:38 GMT -5
Author's Note - I'm putting this ahead of the poem in order to give readers an idea where this came from. I have an old friend, Sam, who I've known since we were young men in college. We're very close and yet in some ways very different as well. Sam is extremely religious and at times can even be a bit pushy regarding his opinions. He strongly believes in God, a master plan, the promise of Heaven and that man has the freewill to choose how to deal with life on Earth. I don't completely disbelieve all of this but I take a far more humanistic view. I'm somewhat upset that man was placed upon Earth, given free will and keeps gloriously messing it up completely. And while we find new and better ways to do eachother in, where is God and why doesn't He intervene? So, Sam and I knock heads! This poem arose from that heated discussion.
My friend says life's better
after you're dead.
But to me that sounds crazy,
is he out of his head?
I get that the promise
of Heaven is sweet.
Yet why can't I enjoy it
while I'm still on my feet?
What have I been doing
since the moment of birth?
Is it all just a huge sham
as we're here upon Earth?
And what of the God
who created this place?
Must I get to Heaven
to look into His face?
He seems very absent
as I look madly around.
While I gaze at the bodies
that cover this ground.
These children crushed under
the great wheel of war.
So many have been slaughtered
that I can't take anymore.
All this blood, all this death as
I scream out from the pain.
My lungs burn like fire
but it seems all in vain.
I feel the bullet enter
and I fall to my knee.
One more dead soldier,
my God what will happen to me?
Michael "Safe Return Home Please!" Gallatin
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Post by Lisa Arnold on Nov 16, 2011 17:02:34 GMT -5
deep write, well-expressed...thanks for posting and sharing!
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Post by rustybroadspear on Nov 16, 2011 17:42:19 GMT -5
i think since the beginning of humanity the big old question has been 'why'. and we've looked to sun gods, moon gods, earth gods, invisible gods - we've built cairns, stone circles, pyramids, churches, chapel, cathedrals - and we are still asking 'why' ........
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Post by frankievon on Nov 17, 2011 6:26:16 GMT -5
very well expressed my dear friend i love your word structure
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Post by backstreetdreamer on Nov 17, 2011 9:08:12 GMT -5
A great poem Michael, I know of your friend Sam, life can be many different things, yet love is the bridged that comnnects everything and everybody...Keith.
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Post by johan on Nov 18, 2011 8:18:51 GMT -5
Michael, I always read your delightful poem/stories and always get a buzz from them, great work my friend.
Johan
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Post by michaelgallatin on Nov 18, 2011 9:54:35 GMT -5
Thank you all so very much and a  to each of you. Writing anything about God and/or religion is asking for criticism and a slew of varying opinions. If anyone wishes to express an opinion or to criticize, I'm open to that to be fair. Yet I also respect the kind way you all responded to this. Even seeing the friendship that underlies Sam's and my differences. Namaste, Mike |
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Post by purplespirit on Nov 18, 2011 13:48:47 GMT -5
Me too, Mike, I can only comment and respond critique-less because this is a wonderful poem. Questions and so hoped answers, we may get the later often but it depends what we can relate to, for we have our individual opinions and thoughts. Perhaps people like your friend Sam feel easier to go through the storms of life with strong faith in some prophecy, but like you many of us are full of questions especially with the facts of today's world. Thank you for sharing! Ulla xx
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Post by michaelgallatin on Nov 18, 2011 15:26:52 GMT -5
Me too, Mike, I can only comment and respond critique-less because this is a wonderful poem. Questions and so hoped answers, we may get the later often but it depends what we can relate to, for we have our individual opinions and thoughts. Perhaps people like your friend Sam feel easier to go through the storms of life with strong faith in some prophecy, but like you many of us are full of questions especially with the facts of today's world. Thank you for sharing! Ulla xx My dear, sweet and diplomatic. You are right that people have different opinions and rather strong ones at that. I don't think there's a right or wrong, just separate ways of seeing the same thing. But I will say one thing and it isn't just to defend Sam. I really believe this of him. He's not one of those people who uses God and religion just to "get through life". Sam deeply believes in everything he espouses to the point of overdoing it. As I deeply pray that mankind isn't totally lost and I wish God would please intervene at times and give us idiots a hand with this mess that He helped to create! Namaste, Mike |
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Post by jbstillwater on Nov 18, 2011 18:29:47 GMT -5
Sometimes I think that I can feel His tears, and I, like you, always end up head against head on this su bject I have come to the conclusin that it is not the reward, but the lesson learned. Why? I have not a clue, but suspect that knowledge is probably all we take with us when we pass through our window. I am going to go through some of my poems and see if I can find something on this subject
Huggs
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Post by michaelgallatin on Nov 19, 2011 13:20:12 GMT -5
Sometimes I think that I can feel His tears, and I, like you, always end up head against head on this su bject I have come to the conclusin that it is not the reward, but the lesson learned. Why? I have not a clue, but suspect that knowledge is probably all we take with us when we pass through our window. I am going to go through some of my poems and see if I can find something on this subject Huggs I fear that God and the angels must do a lot of very serious, longtime crying. And the Devil likely does a lot of deep-down, belly laughing. That's assuming you believe in God, the Devil and angels. And I mean "you" in a general sense. This isn't the first or last poem I've done on this subject though this time I did mention Sam and our talks. Suppose I'm a self-styled Humanist. I try to believe and pray there is a God and Heaven and life on Earth has some meaning. On the other side of the coin I get quite upset that God doesn't intervene, that I can see to any great degree, in this mess He left us in. And I think I understand what you mean about lesson rather than reward. But does that make life on Earth any more meaningful, sane or livable? Given that there's no reward and this is just teaching (I mentioned Job to Sam), then it's a very hard lesson and one that's frightening and tragic for some people. Such as how is the rape and murder of a child a lesson? No offense my friend but it's a teaching style that I don't get. That's why I don't normally even discuss God or religion. But good, old Sammy got me into this debacle and now my head is spinning. Take care, Mike  |
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to each of you. Writing anything about God and/or religion is asking for criticism and a slew of varying opinions. If anyone wishes to express an opinion or to criticize, I'm open to that to be fair. Yet I also respect the kind way you all responded to this. Even seeing the friendship that underlies Sam's and my differences. 
and 
all
time for me 
echoes, hope you all are doing well 
