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God, the Terrible God
by Lawrence Bush
God, the Terrible God
is on the move
and will again besiege my soul
from sundown to sundown
but I’ve gone shopping
and stockpiled my favorite snacks
with which
to withstand the onslaught
I will nibble on a pretzel
to reward myself
for the love I have shown my children
I will break off three pieces of chocolate
to reward myself
for the clever lines I have written
I will pour whole milk over whole-grain cereal
to reward myself
for the kindness I’ve shown to insects and mice
I will peel and section an orange
to reward myself
for my diligent struggle against entropy and sloth
And I will survive!
unchastened
unmoved
with all of my walls and ramparts
intact.
Lawrence Bush is the author of American Torah Toons: 54 Illustrated Commentaries.
I’m Arielle Angel, editor-at-large of Jewish Currents. Before you go, there’s something I need to ask.
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Lawrence Bush edited Jewish Currents from 2003 until 2018. He is the author of Bessie: A Novel of Love and Revolution and Waiting for God: The Spiritual Explorations of a Reluctant Atheist, among other books. His new volume of illustrated Torah commentaries, American Torah Toons 2, is scheduled for publication this year.
