God, me and the rest

poem by: Geoffrey Brewer
Written on Apr 29, 2017

They told me about God, his name, essence, demeanour
Men of knowledge, wisdom and inside information
But I, lacking such esoteric wit, just a gleaner
Inspecting what I discerned from my simple station
Found that what I 'knew' of God came from what I'd been told
Such knowledge I had was all second hand and cold

So when it comes to God whom others know
On a personal level, I'd say that's where I'm lacking
I don't question their truth, their integrity I trow
But it's my understanding not theirs that I am tracking
When I've looked for messages from Him to me directed
I've not found one, no return of call connected

I decided therefore to stick with my experiences
And take it from there in attempts to increase my knowing
When it comes to discovering more of life's invariances
Those laws of existence that decide the best ways to be going
I look at what is there, perceived from my own viewpoint
And sometimes this leads to a fresh and wider new point

I see all around there's a world of physical existence
No question it seems pretty solid, assuredly there
Predictable when you apply laws of physics consistent
Terrible if ignored or denied, not assigned due care
So here's a side of life that can be inspected
But let's not suppose that it's ALL (Dawkins' tenets rejected) *

There's also my body, special part of my world animation
So close that it sometimes seems that it's what I am
At the moment I depend upon it for communication
And for much sensation, enjoyable and damned
But in spite of all the pains that come along with it
Both a curse and a blessing for now I'm holding on to it

Another part of experience often neglected
Is what we see in the eye of our mind, day or night
Those mental pictures that appear sometimes unexpected
Whether memories or creative imagining taking flight
Think they're trivial? Recall time of distress or of high satisfaction
To feel the effect of these images and of their traction

I come to the penultimate, or ultimate part of my nature
That's distinguished by the answer to: 'Who's looking at the picture?'
It is I - call it spirit, perceiver and sometimes creator
The one who's aware of awareness, self determined predictor
That such attributes derive from matter, I question that demean
Since the material as cause would define me as robotic machine

And finally, the most transcendent part of this life
There's you and he and she, they and we
Co-existing, interacting with interest, love and strife
Each one with own world and nature, just as for me
As for God, I'll keep looking in hope of more reality and affinity
Meanwhile living with others who's lives reflect divinity

* Richard Dawkins - current 'High Priest of Materialism/Atheism (I share many of his thoughts, but not on this point)

 

Tags: deep, riddle, hope,

Add Comment


Q. Ramirez commented:
How strange that I should be meditating on Who is God for me? I came to the conclusion that just like your poem I can only relate to him from my own experience of life. Ups and downs He is who he is and I accept that. Great poem to ponder with.
Cecilia Crasto commented:
My faith and belief is traditional and I attend Sunday service etc. but I do question, so it is not a blind faith, but, I have always felt someone I can't see, always there guiding and protecting me, so I would say that I am spiritual. Another excellent, thought provoking poem Geoffrey.
Christopher Russon commented:
I believe in God and also anģels but I think Atheism is a sort of growing religion . A Faith like a house has to be maintained or else it will fall apart.Lovely poem Geoffrey.

 

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