When God's as Real as Santa Claus

Music: Prelude in G Major. By Dimitri Shostakovich. Sequenced by J. Marques.

Enter your search terms Submit search form Web www.poemsforfree.com

Alpha List Religious Poems Thanksgiving Poems Contents Home Copyright by Nicholas Gordon

When God's as real as Santa Claus, And temples are works of art; When the Bible's living literature, And the Universe has no heart: One feels grateful, But to whom? When the ritual vestments of faith Are seen only from outside; And the strength to live in the void Becomes a matter of pride: One feels grateful, But to whom? When life seems bursting with beauty, But everything's accidental; When calling the noumenal "Thou" Seems impossibly sentimental: One feels grateful, But to whom? When death is an absolute end, And pain lets one barely get by; Prayer's a harmless delusion And the solace of heaven a lie: One still feels grateful, But to whom? This human urge to say thank you, Unavoidably orphic, Requires, just for a moment, A Creator, anthropomorphic: So that one can feel grateful To Whom.