God has a multitude of nieces and nephews,
the children of God’s maladroit brother.
It seems they are the ones who rule the world.
We do not speak of them.
Multiplicity does not fit our
monotheistic schemes.
Instead,
they hide in newspaper headlines
and we unwittingly read about them
over coffee and toast.:
Tricks, chaos, and decay,
shortages and vicissitudes,
salmon with feathers,
birds that speak Latin,
days missing nights,
millions of single socks,
fractions that can’t be made whole,
buckets with silk handles,
a fine line between justice and revenge,
a pale sun and a harsh moon,
sponge stars that soak away the light.
Every so often,
God calls a family meeting,
gathers them together,
scolds them,
tells them he is disappointed,
reminds them of the family reputation to uphold,
then dismisses them with avuncular warnings.
Things go better on earth for awhile.
Then they forget.
Tricks, chaos, and decay.
1996