God and the Great Green Salamander

by P.D. Casteel

I can't prove that there is a God
Why should I go through the strain?
The Giant Green Salamander
tends to be more on my brain.

When I was an eight-year-old boy,
Gramps told me in all candor:
there awaits beyond the grave a
Giant Green Salamander.

He said the great amphibian
will forever masticate
the dead in its malicious jaws.
Can I prove this beast awaits?

Proof isn't needed to escape.
Belief in its existence
is the key that will set you free.
I think this small penitence.

Yes, I believe in this giant
that awaits in the abyss.
I consider Pascal's wager,
And realize it applies to this.

The Author

Recent works by P.D. Casteel have appeared in "Fiction International" and "lynx Eye." Upcoming publication included in the book "Going the Extra Innings" and "Enculturation."