election process

sometimes i confuse
prayer with the democratic process.

i imagine that god just spends time
counting the votes -
tallying the wishes upon the stars at night.

recording the requests we send.

maybe it’s like the elections -
every night for god is a race to the finish line.

who will come in first this time.

who had the best campaign
for luck.

maybe we’ve been misinformed
about the purpose of prayer:
it’s not a matter of zen, or
forgiveness or love, benediction
or piousness.

maybe god just
uses our vocal masses as
petitions for the
decision-making process.

why else would there be so many of us?

to grant each of us everything
we’ve ever wanted or deserved
is a mathematical impossibility,
so god relies on a spreadsheet of appeals
to produce the outcomes.

even in the universe, majority wins.

i don’t pray much;
but i do vote early, often.