My religion makes no sense
and does not help me
therefore I pursue it.
When we see
how simple it would have been
we will thrash ourselves.
I had a vision
of all the people in the world
who are searching for God
massed in a room
on one side
of a partition
that looks
from the other side
(God’s side)
transparent
but we are blind.
Our gestures are blind.
Our blind gestures continue
for some time until finally
from somewhere
on the other side of the partition there we are
looking back at them.
It is far too late.
We see how brokenly
how warily
how ill
our blind gestures
parodied
what God really wanted
(some simple thing).
The thought of it
(this simple thing)
is like a creature
let loose in a room
and battering
to get out.
It batters my soul
with its rifle butt.
and does not help me
therefore I pursue it.
When we see
how simple it would have been
we will thrash ourselves.
I had a vision
of all the people in the world
who are searching for God
massed in a room
on one side
of a partition
that looks
from the other side
(God’s side)
transparent
but we are blind.
Our gestures are blind.
Our blind gestures continue
for some time until finally
from somewhere
on the other side of the partition there we are
looking back at them.
It is far too late.
We see how brokenly
how warily
how ill
our blind gestures
parodied
what God really wanted
(some simple thing).
The thought of it
(this simple thing)
is like a creature
let loose in a room
and battering
to get out.
It batters my soul
with its rifle butt.
Glass, Irony and God - Anne Carson
