A Poem for a Thursday #320

Mary Karr is an American poet, essayist, and memoirist. She is particularly known for her best-selling memoir, The Liar’s Club, which was named one of the year’s best books. It explores her difficult childhood in East Texas. Karr has also published five volumes of poetry and has won many awards including the Pushcart Prize and the Whiting Award.

Ninety percent of what's wrong with you 
could be cured with a hot bath,
says God from the bowels of the subway.
but we want magic, to win
the lottery we never bought a ticket for.
(Tenderly, the monks chant, embrace
the suffering.) The voice of God does not
 pander,
offers no five-year plan, no long-term
solution, nary an edict. It is small & fond &
 local.
Don't look for your initials in the geese
honking overhead or to see thru the glasses
even
darkly. It says the most obvious crap—
put down the gun, you need a sandwich.

The Voice of God
Mary Karr