Tuesday, May 4, 2010

"My Religion"

"My Religion," by Hannah Southerland

I've been baptized in water

By black-robed liars

Who claim that their prayers

Are stronger than fire

Who claim they know God

In an intimate way

That they know the right currency

God wants them to pay

They scream from the pulpits

They yell at the crowds

At the young, compromised mothers

The sick and bowed

At the young men in love

The brilliant confused

Who when look at the steeple

Feel nothing but used

But my true baptism

Was painless and sweet

I walked into the church

No shoes on my feet

The music so pure

No priest and no monk

I drank from the chalice

Till I was quite drunk

Felt the true Holy Spirit

All over my skin

I forgot all the stories

Of redemption and sin

I lifted my voice

To the clouds up above

I offered my god

The purest of love

I fell to the ground

My heart beating so hard

Since I knew I was nothing

There's nothing to discard

There's no book that I follow

No rules to be broke

No hate to be doled out

No prayers to be spoke

The universe is my god

My church is the Earth

I worship with knowledge

Nothing measures my worth

I walk down aisles

More holy than yours

My bread is more precious

My water more pure

It comes from the coolest

Of babbling brooks

If you want to come visit

Go outside and look

I worship no goddess

I kneel to no god

My religion is truth

No supernatural fog

I listened too long

About sinners and whores

I wonder how I didn't

See the real truth before