by Tina Kelley

 

Turns out there is such thing as God’s plan,
and it involves a train so fast you can’t read
the local stops. We head straight to celebrate

the anniversary of the big bang. He’s certain
it occurred in the downs northeast of Brighton
I am skeptical, but follow paths through high

bending grass, a bridle path, a bridal path?
I confide I do not believe in a gendered god,
or a capitalized one for that matter. God says,

flirtatiously, We’ll see about that. I wonder
what Jo was thinking here, texting only,
“he’s got yr #.” If we’re the consciousness

of the universe, I say, isn’t it weird how we go
straight to blessings and praise, at least in my
tradition, rather than complaining about design flaws

like mortality, patchouli, adolescence, mosquitos?
He says praise is an instinct, highly adaptive.
But what about the Book of Common Prayer’s

predilection for self-loathing, calling ourselves
miserable sinners unworthy of thy sacrifice?
That was administrative error, dang committee,

he says. I’ll risk it — tell me a secret, I say. Dads
are wasted on the young, he says. Retirement age
is when you really need a father. How should

I spend my, I start to ask. To heck with shoulds!
he says. Don’t should on yourself, he says. I am…
but he’s not great at finishing sentences. I’m so

hungry, I say, after the silence lasts. I ponder
what God will order us if he’s trying to impress.
Oysters, sangria, mangoes, dark chocolate.

And when God gets tipsy (not to kiss and tell)
he pokes delicious fun at biblical literalists,
confides that rescue dogs are the Earth’s highest

purpose, hints that the coming fire is all our fault
so don’t come whingeing to me. You’re curious
how he came across? Clean nails, excellent

pheromones, a mix of daphne odora plus
ginger ale. And the embrace at the end, sigh!
I hope he’ll call. I want to make him laugh out loud.

 

 

 

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Tina Kelley’s Rise Wildly appeared in 2020 from CavanKerry Press, joining Abloom & Awry, Precise, and Washington State Book Award winner The Gospel of Galore. She’s reported for The New York Times, written two nonfiction books, and won a 2023 Finalist award from the NJ State Council on the Arts.