In Competition No. 2871 you were invited to submit a dialogue in verse between man and God. The tone of the discourse was far from cordial, ranging from boredom and -disinterest to outright hostility. Here’s Alanna Blake’s disgruntled deity: ‘I’m old and growing deaf and very tired/ These are my final words: I have retired.’ Loss of faith, it seems, works both ways.
Honourable mentions go to Peter Goulding and Emma Mascarenhas. The winners below earn £25 each. W.J. Webster gets £30.
Forgive me, God, but might I know
What on Earth you do these days?
If you’re at work it doesn’t show
Even in mysterious ways.
You never make a prophet now
Or even send a modern text;
In parlous times you must see how
This leaves your creatures much perplexed.
There’s pious claim and counter-claim
By those who say they do your will:
But who acts truly in your name?
On that we wait for guidance still.
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