Is He There? Poem by Donal Mahoney

Some never hear of him
and likely never will—
pygmies in Africa,
aborigines in Tasmania,
the indigenous in South America.

Some often hear of him but
don't believe he's there.
Christopher Hitchens,
a smart man, didn't think so
and Stephen Hawking,
a genius, doesn't either.

Some believe he's there
and claim faith alone
is all man needs.
Some believe he's there
and say faith's required
but insist man must live
according to his teachings
almost 2000 years old.

Man has many chances to
decide what he believes
based on what he sees
and what he doesn't see
while he's still alive.
As Hitchens knows now,
death reveals quickly
if he's there.