Oh God! Poem by Randy McClave

Oh God, my God
Please tell me what I have done,
I grabbed a weapon instead of my rod
And now my repentance has already begun;
Instead of answering with peace as I've been taught
I unwrapped my hands then with a weapon I fought,
Instead of nourishing and wanting to heal
I ignored my teachings; I had violence and then I did kill.

Oh Lord, my Lord
Why didn't I turn the other cheek,
I answered violence with a sword
I thought I was strong, but now I know that I am weak;
A man now lies dead from what I have done
I wasn't thinking when I pulled the trigger of my gun,
If not for my anger this man would still be alive
Living, loving and wanting from a human, I did deprive.

Oh Father, my Father
Who is watching me from heaven above,
Why for my soul did you ever bother
I showed hate and evil when you taught me love;
A man wasn't even bothering me, but I didn't like his look
He wasn't carrying a weapon; he wasn't a murderer or a crook,
I was taught to be supportive, and to always support the peace
I became a hater and a murderer, I was a hypocrite I am the police.

Oh Creator, my Creator
Whose son died on earth by the hands of other men,
To whose way of life I have ignored and became a traitor
Someday the ones we hurt we will will assuredly meet again;
Now in my eye there will hang a continuous tear
And in my heart there will reside both shame and fear,
In the heavens when a star dies and it goes quite into the night
The heavens then cry; as so do I, as I too extinguished a light.

Randy L. McClave