With Jehovah Over a Cup of Coffee

[JoelJosol]

------------ REVISION -------------

Jehovah is seated,  a  coffee cup in hand,
the umbrella's shade towers over his seat. 
I am sorry I am late, not my usual self. I sighed. 

I look at the street, the cars and passers-by, restless, 
I am not sure where to start. Can  I can look him in the eye? 
Snapping his fingers, he offered me a seat.

It's alright, relax, and let us have this talk. 
Thank you for this meet up,  despite your busy day 
But things are getting tougher. I'm sure you knew. 

If people knew you're here, the media will be all over  you
with cameras and microphones, in global TV, on the web, demanding 
that you who parted the Red Sea to do it one more time, or 

heal the world of COVID or Richard Dawkins or bring Bertrand Russel
back to life. They will test your brain with instruments or
enclose you in a lab. Sorry, Jehovah, I'm distracted, with many things. 

Let me regain my focus quick, been working at it for years. 
Then Jehovah  asked, what do you want to know?
Only one thing and if you require an NDA, I'll sign- 

Do you have a schedule now, a date, for Daniel 2:44? 
Jehovah replied, Well, sorry, you know that's classified. 

*** I thought to revisit this poem and enhance it in a few ways.

 

------------- ORIGINAL -------------

Jehovah is already seated, cup of coffee in hand, under

the shade of an umbrella towering over his table and chair.

 

I told him I am sorry I am late, not my usual self. I sighed.

I was looking at the street, the cars and passers-by,

 

restless, not sure where to start, or if I can look him in the eye.

He snapped his fingers in front of me and caught my eye,

 

telling me it's OK, relax, have a seat and talk. Thanks, I said,

for this meeting, grabbing you from your busy day. But hey

 

things are getting tougher. I'm sure you knew. If your presence

here were leaked, the media will be all over us two

 

with cameras, videos and microphones, in global television,

on the web, demanding that you part the Red Sea one more time,

 

or heal the world of AIDS or heal Richard Dawkins

or bring Bertrand Russel back to life. They will test your brain

 

with some scientific formula or enclose you in a lab.

Sorry, Jehovah, I'm distracted, with many things.

 

But, don't worry I get to regain my focus quick,

been working with that for many years.

 

So Jehovah now asked, what do you want to know.

OK, just one thing and if you require an NDA, I'll sign-

 

Do we have a schedule now, a date,

for Daniel chapter 2 verse 44?

 

Jehovah quickly replied,

Well, sorry, you know that's classified.

[waxwings]

Absolutely delightful. Need I say more! << put Jehova in commas? [|:-) >>

[tonyv]

Witty. I liked the conversational style, Joel. And thanks for including the reference to the book of Daniel. I was prompted to look up the verse.

 

Tony

[Aleksandra]

Very well written poem in narrative style. It sounds well, and it's controversial a little bit which give some special tone.

 

Nice poem, Joel.

 

Aleksandra

[Tinker]

Hi Joel, I really enjoyed reading this. It is clever and witty and even thought provoking. The conversational style makes is very easy reading and I didn't want it to end.

 

I wondered about your choice of name, Jehovah has a strange rhythm placed within your fluid meter. I couldn't help think the names God or Yahweh or Father or I Am or Jehovah or Allah ..... hmmm naming Him really is awkward no matter what you might use. I Jehovah think was the best choice simply because it is unusual and stands out.

 

I love your work. ~~Tink

[goldenlangur]

Hi JoelJosol,

 

The age old crucade for the minds given a contemporary spin in your poem. You bring out well the might of the organization behind the door-knocking and conversion tactics of the Jehovah's witnesses:

 

 

Do we have a schedule now, a date,

for Daniel chapter 2 verse 44?

 

Jehovah quickly replied,

Well, sorry, you know that's classified.

 

 

Well portrayed and written.

 

 

Thank you.

[JoelJosol]

I am glad you enjoyed the poem. I was initially apprehensive that someone might find a religious subject treated in this casual manner to be offensive.

 

I built the poem from dialogues written in the Bible between God and Abraham, God and Moses and other personalities. I thought what if God agreed to an appointment with a human, and the human reported the encounter as verse, how would that sound like, given the biblical dialogue patterns? :-)

 

Tink, because the source pattern is the Bible, I used the name "Jehovah" as most English Bibles would. Second, it is a natural for iambic pattern :-)

 

GL, the final couplets represent the eagerness similar to Jehovah's Witnesses preaching of global change and wanting to know the date of its realization and God's response in a matter of fact way.

[badger11]

Contemporary and ironic, relaxed and relevant, and very readable.

 

badge

[Frank E Gibbard]

Putting aside the disbelief on my part of the theological I enjoyed your conceit Joel and incredibly credible imaginings (I thought) of an interview with the biblical god. Frank