like guilt
Our Saviour Jesus Christ suffered and died for us
we revere your martyrdom
I detest all my sins
I detest myself
I, who cannot carry your crown of thorns for you.
like fear
I dread the loss of Heaven
we covet your conditional love
I fear the pains of Hell
death is not relief
only waiting to claw desperately for the mercy of your Judgment.
like penitence
because of thy just punishments
we adore your tyranny
Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love
learn from Job
your helplessness is nothing to Him, His love is for Commandments and repentant sinners.
like childhood
Father of mercy
we submit to your parenthood
I have sinned against you and am no longer worthy to be called your child
the prodigal sons
we, who raised in your empire, reject it.
I am no longer your child.
Nic Job is a second-year student of the MFA in Writing and Publishing at DePaul University, graduating June 2024. They are a student of the world, and spend as much time as they can traveling and observing. Cultures, places, people, and themself. They are a human who likes humans, and all of their beautiful, tangled-up, ordinariness. You can find their publications on their website, lookingglasswords.wordpress.com.