On the way to the Istanbul airport from our hotel our bus had a little accident that worries me. The driver took the bus under an overpass that was too low or the bus was too high. We scraped... had to back up... and then went on our way to God Bless America. What worries me about the accident? I’m thinking the driver may lose his job. The bus was full of people like me... most of them laughing and joking about the accident. I wasn’t laughing. I saw the worry on the driver’s face, and even if he didn’t understand the jokes, he understood the laughter.
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There must be a reason
for selling salvation
in wafer thin slices
to African children
who go to bed hungry...

What’s the point
of
walking on water
and turning water to wine
or wine to the blood of Christ?

What’s the connection...
all the mosques in Istanbul
and bell towers in Rome
calling the faithful to prayer...
for the children in Africa?

Tell me again
what the governor
had in mind
when he called for prayer meeting
in a sports stadium...
Was it to ask God
about the children in Africa?

I’ve got no answers here
that make any sense
especially to a child
in Africa
or to me.