God the Odd

God. Rhymes with sod, mod, bod, rod.

Rod the bod—that guy in school who never

exercised a day in his life yet had six-pack

abs and ropey forearms that rivaled Popeye’s.

God also rhymes with odd, which is probably

the best of the rhymes because it seems to fit.

God the odd—that deity in the sky who never

knew the sensations of tasting garlic or waking

to the sound of doves lined high on a rooftop.

So God did the oddest thing. He joined us, just

cannonballed right in and dunked in wonder—

which doesn’t rhyme with odd. God’s oddness

has to do with his choice to be saddled with the

the terrible burden of being alive and alone.