A PRAYER
after Francisco X. Alarcón
I want a god
at my disposal
a god who sits
at a nearby diner
drinking coffee
while counting
the people walking by.
a clumsy god
a cruel god
a cowardly god
a god who
has to ask
us for forgiveness.
a god who
doesn’t know
our name
before asking.
—from Rattle #75, Spring 2022
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Porsha Monique Allen: “Growing up in church I always wondered what it would be like if God were imperfect. So when I came across Francisco X. Alarcón’s poem, I saw it as a chance to explore the possibility of an imperfect God. I loved the idea of the roles being reversed. What if God looked to us for mercy? What if God wasn’t all-knowing? How would that influence the way we see God?” (web)
