Oh My God, I've Come To Say...

I recently released an anthology of humanist and atheist poetry called Filling the Void: A Selection of Humanist and Atheist Poetry. I am really proud of the book and the content within. It was a pleasure and a privilege to compile. Anyway, here is a tongue in cheek one that I wrote myself. It is based on the very famous child's prayer, one which I used to have to recount in my days as a teacher in a faith school (yes, up to 40% of UK schools are faith schools).

The original prayer goes like this:

Oh My God

I’ve come to say

Thank You for Your love today

Thank You for my family

And all the friends You give to me

Guard me in the dark of night

And in the morning send Your light

Amen

 Here is my version:

Oh My God

Oh my God,

I’ve come to say

Thank you for your love today

Thank you for my family

And the cancer you gave Auntie Eve

Thank you for the little worm

Who burrows into eyes to give blind prison terms

Thank you for tectonic plates

Which make death and destruction a common fate

Thank you for the failing harvests

That bring about death through painful starving

Thank you for the carnivorous food chain

Which results in slow death after flesh-ripping pain

Thank you for HIV/AIDS, smallpox and malaria

Ebola, the plague, cholera; heck, which is the scarier?

Guard me in the dark of night

Which is every day for that girl with no sight

And in the morning, send your light

The burning gas-ball which will one day end our lives

Amen