"Ode to the God of Atheists" by Courtney LeBlanc
The god of atheists doesn’t care
if you pray, doesn’t insist you drop
to your knees each night, isn’t
offended when you cry out,
Oh god! Oh god! on the brink
of orgasm. The god of atheists
doesn’t insist you hold cows sacred
or refrain from eating pork. Hell,
the god of atheists urges you to add
bacon to that burger, lick
your fingers clean. The god
of atheists doesn’t care if you covet
your neighbor’s wife, though your
neighbor might. Go ahead and make
an idol of that poet, that animal,
that idea – hold it sacred, it won’t
offend this god. This god holds
scientists and preachers equal,
believes in evolution and creation,
thinks this universe was ignited
by an explosion but isn’t certain.
The god of atheists cradles the child
and the cancer equally, holds
the sick and the healthy in the same
hands, knows that prayer won’t move
mountains but still supports the idea.
The god of atheists thumbs through
the bible at night and earmarks
favorites, compares them to Grimms’
fairytales and sees similarities. The god
of atheists likes to curse, says
Fucking hell! and Holy shit! with
abandon. The god of atheists sleeps
soundly each night, unburdened
by anyone’s prayers.