"But what was that zipper meant to hold in?"

The Keepers of the God-Box

for Silke

When I was a boy
The preachers all preached
That the world would be ending soon

Sort of spoiled the joy
When that goal was reached
Of men driving cars on the moon

I grew up with no future
In denial of the past
As if each day were my last

My Bible had a zipper
But it was like a suture
To bind to doom and glory
One little last-day-tripper

It was a scary story

But what was that zipper meant to hold in?
He who does not end nor does he begin?
Perhaps it was meant to keep some things out
Perhaps it was sin? Perhaps it was doubt?

Maybe

Baby-girl is it like this for you too
That you can never do nor be enough
Ever no matter what great things you do?

Growing up Baptist can be rough

Scared the hell out of me and I think you
Know what I mean
What might have been
Would never be

Except that God is so much bigger than all that

They try to keep him in a box but like a cat
He just keeps on climbing out
Every time they stuff him in

Of this I have no doubt
And
In this there is no sin
For
He who does not end nor does he begin
Is free
To be

Sharing his image and likeness with the likes of us
While The Keepers of the God-Box make ungodly fuss



+Steven Curtis Lance

Copyright MMIV Silke LLC