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  • The American Poetry Review

    FIVE POEMS

    Nov 01, 2020 2 minutes
    ELIZABETH METZGER

    The God Incentive

    He kept me through childhood.There was a reasonhe kept me from sin like a biscuitwarming in the oven.It’s okay I tell the rain to keep him a theorybut bring him downonce in a while.It’s okay to be honest or selfishbut find the spot where you sinka little into the velvet stadium seatof secrets otherhave rubbed away.See I have been alone and didn’t know itwaiting on the inside glassof a trafficked worldwhere one mistrust passes anotherwith a long yellow hornthat no hand can quiet.Something other than scienceis pressing down on my night watchsaying sing hereinstead of signing off this hour.Ride the hard part,that is the good part as many holy animalsmust know and let go of,everyone is still barely alive.

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