god is a word, so what follows is just
some synonymizing, a bit of splashing about
in language so you'd do well not to take any
of it too seriously. we've got a secret place
we go here, a dilapidated deck overlooking
the water where the stargazing is good.
lying on our backs tonight, talking about
planetaria, for the first time in my life i saw
the stars as more than specks on the painted
black inside of a dome; for the first time i
saw them in three dimensions, with some
stars seeming closer than others. i've heard
before that we are taught to see and tonight
i believed it. what a huge revelation to see
space as something more than a backdrop,
a bit of canvas with some stars painted on it.
maybe it was an illusion, but i'll accept it.
the sky had always had width and height,
but tonight for the first time it had depth, too.
i saw the space between the stars extending
in every direction and thought, god is empty
space. the less we do, the less we think, the
closer we get to that basic essence. most of
matter, the physicists tell us, is empty space.
empty space does not judge us. empty space
doesn't want us to kill those who don't believe
in it. empty space isn't sending anyone to hell.
empty space isn't talking to the president. heck,
empty space isn't even there, which is why i like
it. empty space is a good place to visit, and
some day i expect to retire there.

 amen