The Many gods Who Rule Me—Dante Novario

I pray to the god of irony 
that I get to die 
before I murder someone else

I clarify with the god of misunderstandings
that I don’t mean in the 
               ax murderer 
type of way, but instead in the 
               got the dosage wrong, distracted by street lights
               accidentally undercooked the chicken
type of way

I’ve come to understand that the god of accidents 
will gladly strip someone of their innocence
as quickly and cruelly as any god of intention

and it’s difficult to discern why the god of chances
keeps giving me pieces of his fleeting body
so freely, as if with infinite tenderness

In the distance, I spy the god of calculation 
counting down the hungry seconds 
until the big god finds me 

but meanwhile, I do what I can;
make middling offerings 
to middle-of-the-road gods

who appear to have a lot more power
than anyone gives them credit for

photo by Mike Hindle and Michael & Diane Weidner (via unsplash)