i found god
five hours into
a red eye flight
back home to cincinnati
from los angeles
my burning forehead
was leaning against the cool
of the aircraft window
hips aching from the unreclining seat
my eyes were staring at planets
when it happened
a faint blue line appeared
cupping the curve of the earth
the stars began to tumble into the rising light
i watched the night give way to
an aurora divine
as the hands of creation
lifted the sun above
a white sea of clouds
taking on the color of fire
this is the force that made the universe
i whisper
i wept silently
by the exit door
of row 17
having seen whoever made this life of ours
do their best that august morning
realizing i could not deny
what i had seen was
holy
and the mistake i had allowed my heart to make
was thinking that god was
in any way
associated with man’s religions