Let’s Look Around (an agnostic’s creed)
Nov 3rd, 2009 | By Donal Mahoney | Category: Poetry | 1305 viewsThe thing of it is,
says Johnny O,
none of us knows
whether he is
while others announce
after looking around
they beg to differ.
The thing of it is,
says Johnny O,
some would say
he’s here, he’s there,
he’s everywhere
while others would say
after looking around
no one can see him
anywhere–so how
can he be everywhere?
The thing of it is,
says Johnny O,
he’s right over where?
Let’s look around.
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About Donal Mahoney: Donal Mahoney, a native of Chicago, lives in St. Louis, MO. He has worked as an editor for The Chicago Sun-Times, Loyola University Press and Washington University in St. Louis. He has had poems published in or accepted by The Wisconsin Review, The Kansas Quarterly, The South Carolina Review, The Beloit Poetry Journal, Commonweal, Public Republic (Bulgaria), Gloom Cupboard (U.K.), Revival (Ireland), The Istanbul Literary Review (Turkey), Poetry Friends, Poetry Super Highway, Pirene's Fountain (Australia) and other publications. |
©2009 Donal Mahoney All Rights Reserved
Enjoyed reading this piece Donal, I think I know Johnny O.
Smiles!
Donal, I was tickled, amused, thought a great deal about this piece. The great thing about it is that the speaker could be 10 years old or an adult; it works either way. It is very direct, but tweaks a bit of humor in the direction of a hotly debated subject.
I wrote this poem to attempt to capture the position of an old friend who was once a believer and is now an agnostic. We have not seen each other in years but we both went through similar educations in parochial schools although he stopped with high school. We began communicating by email and he told me was now an agnostic. I simply could not believe it. How the hell could this guy who dumped garbage cans in alleys on Halloween with me not now believe. At the same time I was corresponding with the editor of a publication and somehow this subject came up and he too is an agnostic. I did not realize that there is a plethora of agnostics out there in 2009. I am certainly no “holy roller” and I have not led an uneventful life but I have never been arrested for the mischief I’ve engaged in. But through thick and thin, I have always believed in God. I just finished a poem that begins with “I think Jesus knows I’m nuts/so why would he arraign me.” It sprung from a time in my life now dormant, thank God (if I can use that expression). Maybe I’ll send it in. I’m thankful that I believe but faith has been a gift from God (if I can use that expression). I can take no credit for it. I really don’t know what it would be like not to believe. For me, that would be very tough.