Poems to God No.1

The years swerved along
from a shy, scrupulous boy
to a still-standing old man
now slowly disappearing
into a cloud of memories,
regrets & scarred hopes
seeking to be sought by You
in this permeating loneliness
where all exits simply end
suddenly facing You alone.
I bear the pure nothingness
from which You created me
& the soulful divine beauty
You imagined into existence
despite knowing my drama
distracting me from You &
addiction to all the chaos
in my wake as I continue
crawling through my ruins
into Your mystical solitude.

Dr. Alan Altany, originally from Sharon, Pennsylvania and now living in Florida, has B.A. and M.A. degrees in Catholic theology (St. John’s University, MN), and a Ph.D. in religious studies (University of Pittsburgh). Before his academic career as a college and university professor and director of professional faculty development, he worked as a high school and parish religious educator, factory and lawn maintenance worker, farm worker, and hotel clerk. He continues to teach in college (Comparative Religions) on a part-time basis and both wants and needs to write poetry.