i have seen god
in soup kitchens
and tents along the side of the road.
you say he lives within you
you say he tells you to hate.
i have seen what you call mistakes.
i have seen what you are afraid of.
i have seen who you pretend not to see.
and i have seen god
there too.
i have seen god
in hands that shake
from hunger
from withdrawal
from holding a body too long.
i have seen god
in people who change their names
and finally breathe
for the first time.
i have seen god
in men you would not sit beside,
in women you do not listen to,
in children who learn early
that the world is unkind.
he does not look
the way you say he should.
he does not sound
the way you preach he does.
i have never seen god
holding a sign
or a gun
or a flag.
i have only seen him
in the soft breaking open
of human beings
who were told
they did not deserve love.
so when you tell me
god lives inside you,
i believe you.
i just wonder
how you learned
to shut the door
on everyone else he lives in too.
Nov 25, 2025
Nov 25, 2025 at 6:17 AM UTC
i have seen god
in soup kitchens
and tents along the side of the road.
you say he lives within you
you say he tells you to hate.
i have seen what you call mistakes.
i have seen what you are afraid of.
i have seen who you pretend not to see.
and i have seen god
there too.
i have seen god
in hands that shake
from hunger
from withdrawal
from holding a body too long.
i have seen god
in people who change their names
and finally breathe
for the first time.
i have seen god
in men you would not sit beside,
in women you do not listen to,
in children who learn early
that the world is unkind.
he does not look
the way you say he should.
he does not sound
the way you preach he does.
i have never seen god
holding a sign
or a gun
or a flag.
i have only seen him
in the soft breaking open
of human beings
who were told
they did not deserve love.
so when you tell me
god lives inside you,
i believe you.
i just wonder
how you learned
to shut the door
on everyone else he lives in too.
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