An atheist's prayer

God, did you hear? 
Last night, I brought
A bowl of water under
The light, and with a few
Strings of emerald-coloured poison
I began my massacre of the night. 
I didn't have to wait
Long before a few mindless bugs
And worms crawled their way along. 
Some, screeched tirelessly with their
Claws to prowl their way
Through the windows, while others
Screamed silently, for following
What they thought was good and bright, 
Slowly sunk or float in that
Half a sphere of tomb. 
Their transparent wings netted them
Securely, overlooked their struggle, 
And suffocated their whimpering breaths. 
Yes, they did attempt to climb—
Out of that dome of death, upside down, 
But of course they
Didn't have a second chance, did they?

God, did you see? 
The eyes, those that looked at the
Corpses and winced, are looking at you now. 
Of all these years those who
Needed to believe believed
In you, have you ever spoken to
Those souls who sacrificed for
Your light and glory? 
Of all those people who have fell
For others' trickery, did you even
Glance at their faces
Before you eagerly closed the doors
And pushed them to the fiery red below? 
I, a mere mortal, who may face 
My very own dome and tomb
Very soon, asked you these
Questions, and prayed that someday you'd use your sight, 
Because last night, 
I surely did see,
And I definitely did hear—
Those lives before my eyes, and 
They've been twisting so eldritchly
Ever since.

Dale Chou
2001-01-31