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Contributor Series 5: Dramatis Personae, The Voice of God


06.04.10 Posted in Contributor Series 5, today's words by

Contributor Series 5: Dramatis Personae
The Voice of God
By Sandra Forte-Nickenig

When God speaks I hear
Miriam and her timbrels
and the roar of bearded patriarchs
waiting for Moses to descend Mt. Sinai.

When Jesus speaks I hear 
a chorus of disciples
praising his name while
Jezebel pursues forgiveness.

When Allah speaks I hear
sheepherders praying in the desert
through the shaft of blinding light
seeking water for a parched soul.

When Buddha speaks I hear
the murmur of a hymn
and the faint plashing in the pool
where lotus blossoms promise peace.

When the Great Spirit speaks I hear
the bones of my ancestors
beating a tom-tom as their faces
flash in a star-filled sky.

When Mother Earth speaks I hear
a cascading waterfall and
I dance through whispering meadows
in search of a lover.

When my Higher Power speaks I hear
the voices of friends
who sit in a circle and laugh
at the ironies of reality.

Yet if truth be told,
all gods sound remarkably like
the voice of a Jewish woman searching
to discover the mystery of the universe.


Sandra Forte-Nickenig’s poetry appeared at vox poetica in 2009. Her most recent poem, September Morn, was published in September 2009. 




One Response to “Contributor Series 5: Dramatis Personae, The Voice of God”

  1. Jean says:

    Dear Sandra, You speak for many of us, in a wise, strong voice which warms the heart.

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