A Poem About My Higher Power
By Lena R
This poem is dedicated to everyone who has been chastised for their atheism/agnosticism through thinly-veiled crosstalk. I hope it makes you smile!
A Poem About My Higher Power
If you want sobriety, there’s one thing that you must know.
Atheists don’t make it. They drown in their egos.
Deep down, they know the truth, and yet they fight, and fight, and fight.
Their heads stuck so far up their butts, they cannot see the light.
Those heathens drown in selfishness. They only see themselves.
Fear not, the answer’s present in our book called Twelve and Twelve.
You must find a higher power if you want to kick the booze.
We’re spiritual, not religious. So it can be anything you choose!
When I was down and out, passed out and shaking on the floor,
I looked up, and there It was, so bright! The Great Almighty Door.
And nestled mid-way down one side, a beacon for my hand,
The Doorknob made me promises if I followed Its demands.
This Doorknob keeps me sober. This Doorknob is The Way.
I address this Doorknob when I’m on my knees to pray.
It told me that It knew the truth. I listened, undeterred.
It told me I’d go straight to hell unless I preached Its word.
They say when one door closes, out swings another door.
But there is one exception you might not have heard before.
The final door that closes is the last breath that you exhale.
But will another open? Is this the ending of your tale?
In the dark, you’ll see a door as high as 40 feet.
An entrance to a world where you can truly feel complete.
It is only the believers that will ever see inside.
For only they will see the Doorknob, nestled mid-way down the side.
I stay sober for the Doorknob. It has taught me how to love.
I’ll do anything to open that Big Door High Up Above.
But this is just my Higher Power. How will you hear God’s word?
Just don’t tell me you’re an atheist. That would truly be absurd!
Lena R. is 27 years old and has 4 years of sobriety at the time of writing this poem. Her home group is a secular group called We Agnostics in North Bay, Ontario. She believes that positive change in AA is an important part of 12th Step work, so she makes a point of being vocal about her atheism. She wants people to know they can live happy, sober lives – with or without god.
For a PDF of this article, click here: A Poem About My Higher Power.
Lena. Simply brilliant.
Thanks for being a beacon of light and reason, as well as a dear friend.
Andrew H
Oh Andrew, thank you so much 🙂 I am so very thankful for your friendship also. 🙂
Loved your poem about higher power Lena.
As long as its not me!!! HAH!!!!
Ha ha ha, thanks Richard XD
Nicely done, Lena. Enjoyed this a lot.
Thanks so much John! 🙂
Whenever I hear or see your name I smile. Such is the positive impact you have on people. Thanks for your poem. It touched me.
Murray!!! I could say exactly the same. I am always happy to see your name, which I fear I’ve been seeing far too infrequently since deactivating my Facebook. Thanks so much for your wonderful comment and your continued support. It means so much to me 🙂
Thanks Lena. My higher power Nature bows to your great Doorknob – namaste!
Haaaa!!! Namaste!!! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Started my day with a chuckle! Thanks for your creative spirit and use of your voice!
Thank you so much for making me smile, Teresa!! 🙂
Clever musing. In the early days of sobriety for me just thinking about a higher power allowed me to step outside of myself which in turn opened the door for a broader understanding, more tolerance, and a starting point for working towards an open mind.
Thanks for your perspective, Karl! Tolerance and understanding – I’m working on cultivating those traits! 🙂
Have you tried it to beats, Lena? I see a hip-hop song in the making…. just saying; it could have hit-material.
Humor and wit… great means of communication.
Thanks Joe! I’m a terrible rapper, but I might turn it into a spoken word poem with video accompaniment… wouldn’t that be a sight to see? I guess it would not be very “anonymous” of me, however.
If you look deep inside you’ll find a place that will allow you to shed the chains attached to your doorknob(s).
Looking for things outside of self inevitably ends up at doorknobs. Looking inside ain’t easy. Parts of the journey can be scary. But the deep understanding and peace found can be shared with other seeking minds.
Doorknobs? Really?
What nonsense! What a waste. Wake up! The doorknobs sucker punched you.
Better to find another inquisitive mind similar to your own and then ask questions. It may take much longer than you’d like but the third path is the only arena that will truly and deeply challenge you.
Jump in, the water’s great.
The tricky business regarding satire is that it (inevitably?) goes over the heads of some people. I like satire and I like poetry. This effort scores high marks for both of those.
In the modern era, would be versifiers often opt for free verse — it’s easier. Rhyming isn’t hard, but meter is. This piece does an excellent job meter-wise. Well done.