An Atheist on Sacred Ground

10/01/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation



        Confess to me your sins

        Release them from your mortal being

        Into the cavernous space above

        So you might be forgiven



Forgive me father, for I believe not

These walls radiate no godliness

No matter how prettily they are put together

Or how great the belief of its designer



I come not to be welcomed into the fold

But to behold the achievements of humankind

In creating this place that you and I hold so dear

But for such very different reasons



        I’ll pray for you, my child



Keep your words from my ears

If their only purpose is your desire

To convert me to your brand of worship

Which offers me no salvation



My redemption will come from inside me

Through quiet contemplation

Not by some divine revelation

Or through his earthly messenger, yet



        May God bless your heart



I do not feel a connection rising to my soul

Through this inscribed concrete floor

It does not carry with it those departed

From crypts buried deep below our feet



The sense of peace I get from this place

Has naught to do with matters of faith

But with the solitude I can enjoy

In this small chapel to the side



        Hate the sin, love the sinner



The sense of wonder and awe I experience

Has not come from a spiritual cause

And is all to do with the majesty of the organ

And the aesthetic beauty of the stained glass



Save your communion and confessional

For those who share your devotion

This unbeliever loves you still

Even if you think I haven’t been saved