Buried beneath the Newsprint

By Richard Mather

It was only when Snake

Emerged from a black hole

Between Mecca & Medina

That God saw the problem.

Speaking from the side of his mouth

Snake let loose Sin & Death

& oppressed God with

Rockets & resolutions.

Cruel words were uttered

Against God & his Elect

And the angels were enthralled

By the grinning grimace of Snake

As he handed out sweets

To the devils.

God came down

From Mount Zion

To seek out his people.

But his people

had been blown to bits

By a bus bomb.

And so God tore his cloak

& made for himself a garment of lamentations.

Almost sated, Sin & Death

Sought out God

Who was reading Torah and weeping

(whose tears settled like dew on his tallith).

And they scoffed & gobbled God

Before devouring the sun and moon

And finally each other.

And the universe was waste & formless

And void of every living thing,

Except of course for Snake

& you and me, obviously.