Poems to God, No. 123

Your ancient Doctor of Grace
raised from his dead heresy
prayed “Lord, you have made
us for yourself…,” longing &
aching awfully for You,
holding breath underwater
in tidal floods of distractions
from Your overwhelming
brutal beauty buried within
like a red lotus blooming
& rooting in our restless
hearts palpitating in waves
of undying soulful thirst
for spontaneous union
with You, for breathing
down-deeply underwater
as sacred-hearted fish
riding the currents home,
a mysterious inertia
drawing us through our
eternal ecstatic addiction
to You, finally at rest
forever in Your absurdly
infinite & intimate love,
a mothering intensity.

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Alan Altany has BA & MA degrees in Catholic theology, and a Ph. D. in religious studies (University of Pittsburgh). He is a semi-retired, septuagenarian professor of Comparative Religions at a small college in Florida, USA.  He founded and edited a small magazine of poetry (The Beggar’s Bowl) and has published three books of poetry for in series, “Christian Poetry of the Sacred”:  A Beautiful Absurdity (2022), The Greatest Longing (2023), and Intimations (2024).  His poetry has been published by Tipton Poetry Journal, Beltway Poetry Quarterly, Valley Voices, Sand Hill Literary Magazine, The Hong Kong Review, North Dakota Quarterly, Montreal Review, St. Austin Review, and others. Website:  https://www.alanaltany.com/.