God is a Metaphor ... With All Due Respect

God is a Metaphor

erupting with fingering phrases

glissando winds ripple limbs

frisson rises in all those places

dawn's sun breaks and swims 

how can i think what God is?

newly fallen snow, fresh kill 

heat steams wavering over

shaded rooms like  a poet's quill

enlighten corners like no other

how can i say who God is?

tuck and rolled white-red leather

the clouds lay cotton in the valleys and

in a faceless place the eyes are a trema

prickly pare cactus bleeds bended knees

how can i see where God is?

immovable and curdled milk senses

mixed in whiskeyrum tumblers 

ice hiccup clinking glass  ..... a 

frenetic lens

 ....and

stippled integrity ...and 

icy fingers probing the most difficult; 

forcing open brittle parchment

peering

loving parts i will not admit

God is a metaphor

With all due respect

Author's Note

Reviews

[Beren]

please don't let any of my family members see me comment on this poem...
i love how every thought about god is so poetic, except for people who believe blindly. shouldn't god be something deeper? even in philosophy 101 we see this "what do we think god is? an omnipotent, perfect, flawless being. this belief alone is enough for god to exist" they say. ok but who is he?
heaven and hell are inside us, so is god.

perfectly written sir. when people ask me why I'm agnostic, I ask permission to have this poem printed on my t-shirt to show them.
nice to discover you

[Einstein Noodle]

well ... i dont know about the t-shirt but i am truly humbled and pleased at the request ... i am not agnostic :) but since you believe, at least in part, is within us ... i think perhaps you are not either ... i think you hit on the gist of this one .. we are unable to put into words who God is .. we try and fail miserably .. and yes! i agree ... we do carry both heaven and hell inside of us .. what counts is which side we feed more ;) love on ya and thanks again for choosing this one to review .. I will meet you on your streets ... peace and joy, Ms. Beren :)
E.
ps ... i was afraid to post the title for fear people would think it blasphemous .. my hope upon reading thoughts will run in another direction

[Beren]

You write about God fearlessly but afraid of humans… might be the hell you fed.

“ I will meet you on your streets ” woah
You wrote poetry in your comment! So pleased about this, it’s my pleasure!

[Einstein Noodle]

i'll have to think on that ;))

[Brina]

I really loved the line "prickly pear cactus bleeds bended knees". It rolls off the tongue very nicely

[Einstein Noodle]

good morning Brina! so nice to meet you! at least i don't think we have met before .. at any rate i will stop by your place asap to repay your kind visit and review ... i learned in a poetry class what you refer to is called "milk tongue" ;) glad you like it :))
E.

[wordman]

well,let`s hope he is real,somebody has to keep us inline

[Einstein Noodle]

:) ............. Amen brother ... its the hearing and obeying that seems the stickler ... glad you stopped wordman .. best of the new year to ya!
E.

[wordman]

you`re welcome,,and you to

[Robert Trakofler]

brilliant Mr Einstein! i would be so bold as to say that "God" is the metaphor to end all metaphors... all others pale in comparison:) To define the indefinable and divine the intangible can I believe, only be done as such. I once tried to explain a painting to a blind person that has never seen and all I had was a bag of metaphors and like "god" the painting's image could only be in the relation of the context of the viewer:) this is a gem, good sir Doodley

[Einstein Noodle]

oh man!!! that's it exactly ... as so far as i see it anyway .. God bless you Bad Bun ;) thank you for taking time and letting me know your thoughts ... great new avatar sir! ... i think it shows your character ... sound wisdom with a twinkle in the Bunny eye :)
E.

[DAH]

Philosophically sound in all of its presentation. Yes, I agree, "God is a metaphor",
and, as John Lennon stated in 1971, "God is a concept by which we measure our pain". Being a devout Atheist, both of these opinions work for me.

This is stellar work, EN, nicely played.

DAH

[Einstein Noodle]

a devout atheist ... wow! i would love for us to live close by ... and like i said to Lydia .. sit at the most bohemian coffee spot and just talk ... the ideology of atheism escapes me to no end ... really appreciate your tolerance in reading and reviewing my friend ... thank you so much for your encouraging words
E.

[DAH]

My pleasure, E!

[AYVID]

To begin with..."shaded rooms like a poet's quill" ~ such an amazing metaphor there, dear E!

I had to look it up exactly and by a dictionary, a metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. And that convinced me...God is indeed a metaphor for the dawn's sun breaking and swimming away, for freshly fallen snow and fresh kill. Yes He is a metaphor for bleeding, bended knees and yes yes my friend, He is certainly a metaphor for ice hiccupping and clinking glass in a glass, under the silken skirt of an old, mellowed kind of whiskey...

Bless God for all the beauty, in everything...

You are such a mind-blowing poet..Kudos E!

[Einstein Noodle]

ahahaha well ... mind blown perhaps ;))))))))))))) you are so kind and encouraging ... so so happy you let yourself into this one ... i didn't want it to come across as irreverent in any way ..yes! Bless God for it all eh!? thanks so much for reading .. i feel pretty gratified by your response Divya .. thanks you ever so much!
E.

[AYVID]

I'm all happy and smiling here :)))
You're very very welcome my friend!

[Chris Shaw]

As I have grown older, I have grown apart from my old faith. I find it increasingly difficult to believe in a Maker when there is so much destruction and misery inflicted on so many. And yet the closer I get to nature, I still find myself asking and pondering on those questions. You see, I can't quite let go altogether. I am like a child clinging on to the string of a balloon in a very strong wind. I haven't completely given up. I like the idea of God being a metaphor. As a poet, metaphors play an important part. A thought provoking read Mr E.

I have come back for another read. There are so many great lines here and interesting vocabulary. Always good to read you.

Chris

[Einstein Noodle]

thanks Chris! perhaps the difficulty you are experiencing is that you are trying to use our very human brain ;) consider this science ... nothing created .. nothing destroyed .. known as the Law of Conservation of Mass ;) now ... try thinking about this ... i read it in an AARP rag just yesterday ... scientifically speaking .. there are more atoms in the human body ... than stars in our universe!!!! wow! right!? .. now let go ... i love your review Chris ... my view of things has changed over time as well ... would love to meet you for coffee and bagels to just talk ... about God ... what could be better says i!? really happy for your visit!
E.

[Chris Shaw]

What an interesting bit of information you have given me and also an alternative way to consider my thinking. Bagels and coffee sounds great. What a pity you live so far away Mr E. I would have a long way to swim :)

Have a lovely day.

Chris

[Einstein Noodle]

ahahahah we can meet in the middle :))))))))))))))

[Eilis]

Your title drew me in to this one. It is a challenging poem in large part, I think, because it mirrors the inner universe. It is human to question and doubt. I believe this is part of our purpose as creatures with a brain wired for advanced thought. However, it isn’t always easy to face where the questioning leads.

At points, this feels like a dialogue with the creative nature housed within us. Some people call it the muse, but I feel it’s something self-contained that is prodded for whatever reason at various times and seeks a way out. As though within each human being is something like an individual universe. Or perhaps an individual galaxy where we are the inhabitable planet waiting to be dressed with the necessaries for living a fulfilled life.

The dance here between the corporeal and the ethereal is stirring because it’s almost like a moving aside of a veil to examine all the feelings and offer critical perspective. It’s an interesting poem, E. Thought-provoking. I don’t feel like my thoughts are necessarily in line with your intention, but it is intellectually stimulating to ponder the ideas nevertheless.

Really enjoyed reading this one. Some great unusual word choices.

[Einstein Noodle]

thank you so much for your sensitive and thorough read of this Ellis! i am an introvert and find most of my challenges within ... i love what you say about the universe within .. like i was saying to Chris .. i recently read in an AARP piece that science has declared there are more atoms in the human body than stars in our universe .. how beautiful is that?!!! if you ever would like to share what your beliefs are i would love to hear ... we are after all a many, varied, wonderful and splendid thing ;) https://youtu.be/GnDtxiNwDS8
i really appreciate you my friend .. thanks for taking time!
E.

[Eilis]

That’s an astounding bit of information on the human body. It’s not difficult to be surprised by the intricacy of the earth and all that inhabits it. I suppose I am a Christian of the Thomas variety. I believe we are meant to ask and seek understanding so that there is a certain intellectual security within our beliefs. Why would we have such capacity to think if we were not meant to use it—this is my question to myself and something I try to live by.

All the best, E. I did enjoy this poem very much.

[Einstein Noodle]

back at ya Ellis! you make a strong point .. and i have heard most of us barely use 10% of our nogs ... imagine what we are missing eh!?

[Anthony]

Although I believe in God, this was truly something else. You have this ability to just project imagery beyond my imagination.

[Einstein Noodle]

Ant! i have to come knock on you pages .. not sure we have met until now ... so double thank you for stopping to read ... we share a belief in God then my friend! isn't that groovy ;) and may your imagination catch up to shooting stars and sprouts :)) thanks again for taking time and leaving your impressions .. that's important you know ... peace and joy!
E.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

sometimes when we look at poetry, some of my students believe that the metaphor is actually the real thing---

[Einstein Noodle]

well ...........it is isn't it??? :))))))))))))))))))))))))
E.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

there is beauty, there is ugly, there is nature, there is man-made....but who gave us all that we see and as humans think...feel...wonder...and is God in that parchment, is God behind the words we write...
as Joan Osborne sang.."what if God was one of us, just a slob like one of us?"
maybe just walking among us and watching how we react to all that is there...whether he or she is behind it or what...
much posed here....much to ponder...makes us stop and question exactly what our beliefs are at this point in our lives, considering all some of us have lived through.
great poem...maybe life is just a hiccup...seems that short sometimes...that random.
j.

[Einstein Noodle]

thanks for stopping always jacob ... and for your thorough and thought provoking review in itself! .. i think the truly "lost" may be those of us that have given up the ponder ... not in the "freeing" sense ... but in the choice of unbelief .. you know jacob ... we are a special brand, us poets ... so many of us can go out and see the miracle in a simple blade of grass ... and then do our best to share that experience creatively ... my mother-in-law use to say that there is a poet in everyone ;) my faith base is in the teachings of Jesus ... funny you mention maybe God is one of us ... as that is exactly what the Bible says happened .. tho i dare say Jesus felt all the slob in humanity .. He chose otherwise ;) thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on this and all the poems you review jacob ... love on ya sir!
E.