Poems & Prayers

A large number of the poems express a strong belief in God and reference Christianity specifically. As a Christian, the speaker has faith in a higher power that guides human life. He believes that through prayer, devotion, and right living, he can commune with God. Thus, his God is not an inaccessible being, but one who is available to those who seek him with a sincere heart. This approachable God can be addressed informally and colloquially, as in the poem “Hey God,” which wonders, “By the way, does it count when I talk to you while drinking at the bar?” (153). Nevertheless, the collection also often references biblical passages, showing that the speaker’s connection to his religion is at least in some ways formal. Primarily, his allusions are to New Testament, as befits his Christian perspective.  

The speaker believes that in the Christian ideal of grace, not because a person deserves it but for the very opposite reason—that they do not. Many of his prayers ask God for assistance in strengthening faith, as in “In Spite Of”: “Help me to have faith that the purpose of grace / is to show others the grace I’ve been shown” (171).