Some Kind of Penance

A Poem

Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

oh, forgive me,
for i have sinned —

but who do i pray to
when i don’t believe in god?

is there some master of the universe
that will at least hear my pleas?

or am i on my own,
just like i’ve always been?

i can go to confessional
just like my father does —

but will saying the words help me
or just chain me further?

oh, forgive me,
for i have sinned —

but who will answer back
if the holy spirit’s missing in action?

is there a reason why the world
eats me up and spits me out so easily?

or am i the reason why
good men look away as if i’m tainted?

i can wear the cross at my neck
just like my mother did —

but why would it feel just like
a noose around my neck?

oh, forgive me,
for i have sinned —