apoem: “absence: a reflection of faith”

you were here and now you are not

you were there and now you are not

you were somewhere and now you are not

in our everywheres we find our strongest reality

is god not more than sentimentality

but a presence that seems elusive

or perhaps conducive to our lives

shall we die this moment

first to ourselves

or shall we live and deny

the matter of our disaster

do we care about

the quiz that is

life

or is thine the glory

or is thine the power

or is thine the presence

your presence is elusive

it is simple not conducive

to being known in the chaos

of the modern age

and your absence seems to contribute to my rage

you are here and absent

you are there and absent

you are somewhere and absent

you are everywhere in absence

in absence is the presence of god

thus we trust

that love is the thrust

to the presence and power of love be the glory forever and ever

perhaps god is not so absent after all

amen