Ask And You Shall Receive Poem by Allan Thorne

“I think I should fast
So that I can hear
God more clearly,
So that I can hear
What he is saying to me.”

The twitchy black kid
On the train
Is talking
On the phone
To someone,
Maybe his mother.

“I’ve never fasted in my life
How do you do it? ”
The party on
The other end of the line
Doesn’t seem to have
Any practical advice.

When his stop comes
He stands in the aisle
And the old white guy
Sitting in the next seat says.

“Drink lots of water, fruit juice,
Maybe some clear broth.
And good luck.”

“Thanks.” says the kid
And staggers out the door
Looking back as if
He had seen an angel.

But it is only an old man
Who once thought
He could almost hear
God talking.