One More Poem by r james sterzinger

one more prayer from the cripple
one more bargain with the big
Pooh-Bah up in the sky
one more loss of faith
one more distant star dead
cold, burned out
forgotten as I am to my own self

one more prayer from the cripple
one more desperate plea to heaven
one more bit of bitter hope
that he'll take measures into his own hands
and break the impasse that makes love
happen, makes it all ring true.

I brew another cup of tea
and try to fill words into a poem
that lacks intimacy and imagination
what can be expected of a coward
what hope can a man have who feeds on
memories and fear like a cannibal

so let the snow fall
I will grow older, softer around the middle
stay in bed late
so that when I meet my angel again
I can say I did my repentance
for leaving her die in that
lousy hospital
while I did nothing but pray that she
would die in peace

you know you can't blame god for
his lack of desire to cooperate
in a life you have given up on long ago

yeah, well....