In the beginning was the Energy,
and the Energy was with God,
and the Energy was God.
John 1:1, revised
Every atom in our bodies —
I mean people,
snakes, quartz, amoebas,
cornhusks, crayfish, the Crab Nebula —
and every subatomic particle
in hibiscus flower, baseball bat,
plasma screen, octopus,
dust mote, Halley’s comet — and the energy
hooking those atoms together,
from here to the South Pole
to far beyond the Pole Star …
all was in one place once
at the beginning — all of it.
Such a tiny place.
Imagine that: you in there,
with that girl you liked in sixth grade,
and Yankees with Red Sox,
Nazis and gypsies,
up with down,
plus Time squeezed in sideways
waiting the signal to count
those atoms’ vibrations
and measure the energy’s waves,
and later the ocean’s,
and angels dancing on a pin . . .
all waiting a signal to start,
though there was no start
or finish or during;
no before, no after, no when,
no never, no if . . .
until the creator decided, OK,
let’s take this thing out
on the road and see
what it can do.
That was God, back then
(though there was no then) —
greater than any can imagine —
and despite claims from rival factions
who say they believe one thing,
and have shown readiness
to kill anyone who says otherwise,
that’s still God today,
until you prove me wrong.
