poem of the day 04.16.12

atheism

i read that atheism
is on the rise in america

and i walk down lexington avenue
in the sun of easter
watching dull families promenade
in bonnets and pastels

i tell myself not to believe
everything that i read

but the article is insistent
a rise in atheists and other non-believers

the nons, they are called

millions of lost sheep
tired of the political back and forth
the social warrior posturing by those
jockeying for office

and the people are worried about a godless state

they say the atheists have no moral compass
although nearly every war
has been started by a good christian, jew or muslim

they say that an atheist
is more likely to be a rapist
or to leave the scene of an auto accident

and i wonder about the dipshits
being interviewed for this article

did they conduct it at a mall
or inside of a mcdonald’s during lent?

i worry about the state of mind
of the average god fearing american

because it is fear
that makes them talk this way

fear of losing their grip
on the plight of humanity

it burns them up
to come across the godless

for every head case they meet they think
there must be a cause for a loss of faith

and not just basic logic and reason
or a desire to make it count in the here and now

the god-loving think that there
must be something deficient in those
who don’t believe their particular catechism

maybe there is
after all, we’ll never know the answer
while sitting here together on this rock

the atheists could be lacking
the religious could be lacking more

maybe only the buddhists have it right

all life is suffering

but still, the devout call the atheists
the most hated group in america

worse than a bleeding heart liberal
or a manic islamist walking with a ticking time bomb
down main street

for love and hate go hand in hand
so beautifully to the pious and self-righteous

hell, even adolph hitler believed in god