In The Presence Of God... Poem by Eric Cockrell

dont try to sell me
your roadmap to heaven,
with your streets of gold,
and angelic harps...
i am not interested!

in the presence of God,
(i didnt name her that, you did!) ,
all your spiritual writings
become mere pornography,
your church bells tiny bells

on the legs of ants!
i walk with her through poverty
and despair, touching, reaching out,
and touching.
holding close the child that's dying...

sitting in the cell with the prisoner waiting.
feeding the hungry, building simple shelters
for those who have no home.
standing beside those deserted,
and thought to be worthless.

naming the nameless,
giving faces to the faceless.
finding red beating hearts
beneath all the colors of skin, ...
listening, caring, touching!

in the presence of God...
thunder, lightning, and rain.
i hear and embrace the wind,
wait in silence for the leaf to turn,
and so name the seasons.

in the presence of God...