A Tattoo I May Consider
It is Sunday, so this is what came to me
When I was young, I saw a photo of God in the clouds, and he would zap people when they misbehaved. I remember being told that. It didn't take me long not to trust that picture of God.
When I was in the fourth grade, I had a favorite teacher, a Catholic nun. She told me that she was married to Jesus. I remember her always saying the rosary. Despite that, I didn't trust God. She would give me bookmarks with the stories of the saints on bookmarks.
As an adult, I first thought I was an atheist, until I found out that they can prove there is no God. I didn't think I was smart enough to prove that. I thought, how can so many people believe in God when there is no God?
Then I learned that I could be agnostic. I thought that made sense. I could do the prove-it thing. And I did. Over and over again, even though I got my proof, I continued to ask for proof.
Then a young man I supervised in a summer youth program accused me of being prejudiced against half the world. He said, "You won't allow me to babysit when you need a sitter. He was right, but did that make me prejudiced against all men and God?
Yes, it turns out it did. When I thought about it more, I didn't want to be prejudiced against my brothers, my husband, my sons, my male relatives, or friends, and I figured this was getting in the way of my thoughts about God.
Then there were thoughts about a female God that others went to
That didn't work for me either, even though it worked for others I knew
I liked the idea of a Higher Power of my understanding, or for short, HP
There was the thought about my sister's painting of He-She's, I could see
Slowly and finally, I allowed myself to think of God in my cultural ways
Gichi manido, for great spirit. It is not well defined, worked for many days.
We got religious freedom in 1978, so it took a while to learn more about it.
I changed to Giizhey manidoo, for a kind and loving spirit. A real hit.
for me. Giizhey manidoo is the word that works best for me today
A tattoo I may consider is Giizhey manidoo on this Sunday.
About the Creator
Denise E Lindquist
I am married with 7 children, 28 grands, and 13 great-grandchildren. I am a culture consultant part-time. I write A Poem a Day in February for 8 years now. I wrote 4 - 50,000 word stories in NaNoWriMo. I write on Vocal/Medium daily.
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May Day
May Day in our neighborhood meant May Day baskets. We would prepare small baskets for the neighbors, and they for us. Then we would take the basket to the door, ring the bell, or knock and run. Someone would chase you, and if they caught you, it would mean a kiss.
By Denise E Lindquist9 months ago in Poets
Comments (4)
Thank you for sharing such a deep and personal journey.
That would be a wonderful tattoo. Loved your poem!
As Mark says, we have the freedom of belief. But the tattoo you've considered sounds interesting!
Good job and it really is all that you want to believe. I believe in God, the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Also, God is everywhere in nature and all of us for we are made in his image, but that is what I believe, and you are free to believe what you believe.