This is my piece that I like to call "Conversations with God and the Devil: Helping to heal a broken world"

This is my piece that I like to call "Conversations with God and the Devil: Helping to heal a broken world"

It started out as two separate pieces that took on a life of its own it is actually six parts now that all come together to tell a story.


I saw God
Part I

I saw God just the other day so as she
walked on by I turned and said to her
"So how is life way up there above?"
But she just turned then looked at me,
shook her head then she looked away.
I said to her "God it will be okay,
I just know real soon we will all get
it right down here one of these days."
She stopped right there slowly turned
around while looking me up and down
and she just stared, for must have
been for a just minute, maybe even two,
then a smile ever so slightly broke out
across her face, then she took in a deep
breath of air, and she said to me.
"You know I was looking down
from my home high above just the
other day and a very deep sadness
filled me from the Inside because
violence and hate is all I see everywhere
that I look down here, I mean it was like I
was watching the evening news on CNN
on what you call the television.
I mean really humans all hating
each other all because of the color
of your skin? Why can you not all
understand that I created you
from me and are all just one kin.
You all are lying and stealing from
each other, and for what? All for greed.
Wars and killing, all in the name of
religion, take a moment and think
about that for a second all in my
name, can you not see that it is
insane?
I gave you all pure love in your
hearts and the brains to help
one another out, trees filled with
all kinds of fruit, animals like
cattle and chickens for meat,
and even fire to cook with and
keep warm on these cold and
rainy days, tools for shelter
is that all you need.
I send new souls with babies
being born every single day
who are filled with innocence
and love to spread around,
but all humans do now is teach
hate and violence against
each other with just your looks
and sounds. To tell you truth
I have all but given up
hope because I am starting
to believe that pain in my
rear the Devil, when I beat
him at cards on Tuesday
nights, that no matter what I
do for you all it will never be
enough. You have taken me
out of the schools, where
prayer would teach the children
all of the golden rules, you have
now turned religion into wars, and
turned all the churches into
banks to fulfill your greed and
more, and the worst of all, there
are babies being killed and
dying now more than ever
before they are even born. You
have children who are living on
the streets, they are cold, all
alone, with nothing to eat or drink,
I am afraid that trying to save
you all now Is just too much of
a harrowing feat, and I was
just about to throw in the towel
to admit my ultimate defeat.
Until you said hello to me, you see
it took me by quite surprise, since
not many people even talk to
me anymore. So I had I to look
at you first from the inside and
I smiled because you are filled
with my love in your heart, no
hate or violence that I can see,
you fought a war against hate
for the just the love of your son,
who is not even your DNA. You
teach love and spread peace
all around with nothing but the
ink that you write and what you
say, and now I know like you there
are many more people who are
filled with nothing but love and
hope to be found." Then she started
to glow, so I stood there with
tears falling from my eyes as
I fell upon my knees. I looked up
at God and I said "The Strength
and hope to fight I got from you
God, yes there many like me who
still do love you, we are all fighting
back against the prejudice and all
of the hate, we all just hope that
it is working and we do pray
every day that It is not too late, God
please we need you more today
than at any time ever before, Do not
give up on our kind for our numbers
are growing every day, all the time.
We will take back this world with
you in our hearts and our minds."
Then I got up of my knees, smiled
and kissed God right on the cheek
then I walked away. When I looked
back God was already gone, except
for a single ray of light, the same
one that fills my heart and gives me
the strength and the hope to continue
this epic fight and I do until I see
God again at heaven’s gate someday.

Amen

Poet Richard M Knittle Jr.
A Poet's Journey


I talked to the Devil
Part II

I talked to the Devil just the other day
and I asked him a question just to see
what he would have to say. "I said hey
Devil it has been long while since you
and I spoke last, but I can see that the
wound healed nicely where I had beat
your ass, he stopped and turned around
and looked straight at me then with his
evil grin started rubbing his wound then
said with a snarl and few four letter words.
"And what is the question Richard that
you want to ask?"

So I thought about it for
minute and then I took a
breath and I stepped back ready
for fight for you see, I have
fought many times with the
Devil himself along with all of
the demons that he sends, and
the one thing that I do know
is that the Devil will never
stop or give up trying to beat
you until the very end. So
I said "Hey Devil why do you
need to be so damned mean all
of time? Have you seen
what our broken world now
looks like? I mean hell It is
one ugly scene. Take a good
look all around, you got us
all fighting over the color of
our skins and no matter
How much that we try to stop It,
It just Never will end. We got
wars breaking out all over the
world all in the name of religion
that has killed more men, woman,
and children than all other wars
in our history combined just
Imagine that, Is that not damn
silly, killing others in religion's
name" as I shook my head and
then said "It is at least in my
mind. Then we got people dying
every day with aids, cancers,
and other deadly diseases,
and we have pharmaceutical
companies who can cure them
all but instead only want the
research monies, then we have
your greatest weapon yet, we call
it addiction and it is your crown
jewel I would bet, for It infects
everyone even children too, in
fact it has even infected me
several times in the past, along
with many other friendships
that I knew." Then I started really
thinking about it and I got
mad. So as I have on
several times before In my past,
I raised up my fist and then
started swinging as I said "Hey
Devil get ready to hurt again
because I am going to beat you
down and throw you out the
door and this time I am not
playing, I promise you this beating
will be your last."

The Devil jumped back real fast
and he screamed just like he
was a little school girl and said
"Wait, wait a minute I have
something that I need to say!"
So I said "than say it right now
If not you just might want to pray."
He took a few minutes to get his
composure then he started to
cry and he shook his evil head
and then he said with tears
streaming down his bloodshot
eyes, "I really wish I could take
all of the credit for how your world
is now turning out, believe me
when I say that I think it is
wonderful that there is no doubt,
but alas you see, killing others
in the name of religion, that was
never me, all of those killings were
done by man and not me. Open
your eyes just take a look around
and see, all of that hate and
violence that is caused just
because of the color of a man's
skin, that again is all on man,
because of his fears that he has,
and man's fears never will end."

Then I could see that the Devil
was hurting when he started
to say with a half-witted laugh,
"Now addiction I really think that
one is great because there is no
One on any world or plane who
is safe and that includes myself
from the infection that it spreads
so fast infecting everywhere in
every home across all of the
oceans and every land, I mean
just take a look down in Hell,
it has been full for quite a long
while now." then he looked down
with a very deep sadness and
he frowned before he said,
"I really wish that idea was mine
but No, Addiction the
greatest of all evils, that was
created all by man. My job
has been very easy for many
years now since man learned his
own evil ways. I never needs to
work long hours anymore, so
now I only work two days."

I looked at the Devil with a
shocked look In my eyes just
as tears filled the Devils pitch
black eyes and I noticed that
he was looking so old and very
tired, he looked a lot smaller
then I could remember from his
normal size as the flames that
now surrounded him were no
bigger than a lighter flame in
size, and just as he turned then
walked away, I started to realize
what he had to say was true, I
know that he had not lied at all
when he said that "Man is now the
root of all his own evil on this
earth causing all of our own
problems from the beginning of
our time until our very end.
From all the wars and violence
that we now see, everywhere
we look as far as our eyes can
see. From the hate and greed
that rule most corporations in the
world who breed the situations
with child laborers In third world
countries making pennies a day
so we do not have to pay, to all
of the families we now have who
are living on the streets with
children going hungry who are
cold with no good food to eat
or anything to even drink, wages
that are going down, prices going
up, There are no jobs, and I think
the world has now all but given up.
So I think It is time that we all
need to open up our eyes and
take a damn good look around
and maybe just maybe we
then we can finally start to
realize that if we do not stop
what we are all doing and
help one another to fix our
broken world and start caring
about others and not just
ourselves and to change our
ways, one day we'll all wake
up and it all will be gone, then
perish from this world in
maybe just a few short years,
months, or even days. So please
open your eyes up people stop
blaming the Devil for all our
issues for he is just figment of
our imagination and it is time
to place blame where blame
needs to go, that would be you
and me and everyone that we
know.

Poet Richard M Knittle Jr.
A Poet's Journey

The Final Deal
Part III

Just as the Devil started shuffling
and dealing the cards while he was
mumbling underneath his breath to
himself about how everyone was
cheating and that he should be
the one who was winning as he was
giving everyone the evil eye with
that damn evil grin of his. Stopping
at me and trying to stare me down
and all pissed off because of our
past experiences, I went ahead and
I took that chance and looked up for
a very quick glance around the table
curious about who I just might see,
sitting in tonight for this epic poker
game, I started shaking my head and
thinking to myself, "Oh, yes indeed
this will be a most interesting game,"
because on sitting on my right was
God, and if I do remember or long
conversation right, when I saw her
just last week, it was supposed to
be her turn to host the game but she
had asked me if I would for my very
first time, all because since her and
the Devil got that really mean and nasty
divorce at different place and in a
different time, there is always some
kind of big huge fight going on, for
example, do you all remember that
huge flood? Yup that's right, so the
Devil is not allowed around up in
heaven anymore. So when they both
invited me at different times to play
poker on Tuesday night, I just had to
say yes, I mean I think just about
anyone would want to come over
and see this sight, tell me if I am
wrong, but I know that am right?
Anyway before I go on and on, to
her left was a man I had met at one
time before, he was a great man, an
actor, and our President at one time
before, his name was Ronald W.
Reagan, then on my left was a man
by the name of Buddha, so of
course I asked him If I could rub his
belly for luck. Buddha says, "oh my
Richard luck is what you make it,
I believe that hard work is the best
way, peace be with you, my friend",
just then the Devil laughed out loud
while rolling his pitch black eyes,
and that's when Mr. Reagan chimed
in "Oh brother, let’s not start that
again, Devil just be quiet and deal
the damn cards, you weasel, I do
not have much time so I can win."
To his left was someone who I
never seen before, but I did have
a very strange yet scary feeling that
we had talked a few times before,
some time back in my past, and
even though he never said a thing,
I could clear hear his every word
that he was saying, right then it hit
me and I got a big chill, because I
remembered that I have escaped
Death several times before, then he
looked straight at me and said "what
are you staring at?" So, I looked the
other way real fast. Just then I started
really thinking to myself that maybe
this world would be better off playing
poker once a week, I mean think about
it, if we could get all of the leaders
together in a poker match, then while
they are playing the game they could
sit there while drinking an ice cold beer
and talk about war and peace, religious
freedom, feeding the world wide
famine, all the while, the music was
jamming and sort things out like real
men are supposed to do, we would
have no more raping and killing, and
world peace might just have a chance
to break through.
Then, just as our game was ready to
begin, there was a very loud knocking,
no it was more like a banging with a
lot of loud screaming saying "Ronnie
you had better not be in there" then
the door burst open and standing there
was Mrs. Nancy Reagan with a look that
could probably kill, and I got scared.
Then when I turned back around I
had found, that Mr. Reagan was long
gone, he had somehow managed to
slip on out unseen right through the
back door, right then God gave me
little wink and very sly smile and the
Devil of course stood up and lied he
said "Mrs. Reagan I swear that we
haven't seen him here all night." So
she turned around slamming the
door so hard it broke.
We all laughed for quite a little bit
and we talked about this and that,
while the game continued all night
into the next day, until about half past
four, when the only ones left at the
table was myself and Death for one
last deal. We both had two aces that
were showing, while I had the king
of hearts and spades left, that were
not showing in my tired and
trembling hand. Death said with
absolutely no emotion showing "Now
this is very interesting why don't we
up the ante one last time and see who
wins. God then looked right at me
and said, "I don't think that really is
a very good idea." So, the Devil said
"Why, what's the matter Richard? Are
you a chicken." Just then, Buddha who
was unusually quiet said with a yawn
"I wish I could stay to see this but I
am really tired so I need to get to bed."
Then said, "peace be with you friends."
and gone he went. So, I thought to
myself for a few minutes then I asked
"what do you have in mind?"
Death said, "how many times have
you escaped me in your life thus far?"
So, I started counting while stopping on
just one hand "Oh, I do believe about
four or five times." Death said "okay,
then if I do win you will not have a
sixth time, and tonight it will all end."
The Devil started laughing so hard he
started to cry while rolling on the ground
like he was a little kid kicking his feet,
until God jumped up looked right at him
with fire in her eyes then said in a very
calm and collected voice "This is
why Devil, why don't you grow up for
once in your miserable life?" Shook
her head, then she said "Now get up
off the floor and act like adult." then she
quietly sat back down, looked at me
and said smiled "It is up to you my
dear friend but, I can promise you this
there will be no cheating going on" She
looked back at the Devil and said with
a firm smile "Does everyone here
understand?" The Devil looked at Death
and then we all looked at each other
then we all shook our heads. God said"
okay fine then, let's all take a quick break
then Richard can make his decision and
Death can tell him what he gets if he wins"

Poet Richard M Knittle Jr.
A Poet's Journey

The end of war
Part IV

The thoughts that were going through my head
right at this very moment were a little blurry I
wondered what day is it? Tuesday late night or
have we played until Wednesday I really could
not tell it was like time was standing still here
wherever I was anyway, here I am still trying
to figure out how in the hell did I get here in the
first place with God, The Devil, Death, and Buddha,
not to mention someone I had looked up to and
also served under In the military when I was in
the US Navy President Ronald Reagan who
unfortunately left early out the back door in a hurry
and nobody had seen him since. But I am quite
sure that he is back at the ranch doing chores for his
wife Mrs. Nancy Reagan I just shook my head
remembering how it all started when I saw God about
two weeks ago then I had talked to the Devil and now
there was one draw left between me and Death with
all eyes on me, so I said "Death you do not scare me
I know where I am going when I die, God smiled like
a proud parent, besides I was ready to go a long time
ago but God kept saving me, so yes I will take this
bet on one condition" The Devil jumped up screaming

"no that is not the bet I am tired of you always getting
through by Her Grace and Glory that bitch," all of a
sudden it got very quiet, I looked over at God she had
fire in her eyes and looked like she was ticked off
I had to laugh when she reached back and swung at the
Devil connecting right in the middle of his face then
poof he was gone just a smell of Sulphur and some
smoke. She turned back around got her composure
straightened her hair took a deep breath of air "I sent
that piece of charcoal, back down to hell, “I am sorry
you had to see that, I am against violence and fighting
so I just cast him out of here as I have done from
almost everywhere we play poker, The devil won't be
back tonight so let's finish this game I have some evil
to smite and a baby shower then a funeral” it was so
quite you could just hear the sound of silence everywhere.
then death said quietly but you can tell timidly "So" I was
shaking a little scared and I think I even might have wet
myself a little I looked over God was back to normal I
looked at death and said "please forgive me for I have
sinned many times in my life" she said with a smile
Richard my son Jesus died for your sins so forget it
He usually plays but had a gig he is a band and she
placed her hand on my heart no longer was I afraid I
turned and said to death "I have learned that life is a
gamble every single day, we make decision that will
decide our next move in life, so I will play this game
and if I lose you win I will let you take my last breath
and if I win I get to talk to any one person that had ever
lived correct?" Death hissed "yes and what is the
condition?", I said that you give me one week before
I die so I can say goodbye to my boys and family",
Death said “Oh Brother" fine I waited this long, one
week then your mine.," God said "if there is any cheating
death I will resurrect your mother in law and ex-wife and
I will remarry you which I can do and you will be with
her forevermore," Death looked as if He was going to
be sick well then umm maybe we should uh I mean
need a new deck of cards right now and at the moment
with a big booming voice "Here my friend use these"
it was President Ronald Reagan and threw them
right at me, I caught them in one hand and said thank
sir and saluted because I had done that once before, he
put his hand on my shoulder and said Good luck
son that deck cards I have had since George Bush and I
played the night we were elected, and even when we
whooped Saddam Hussein's ass, he said son war is hell
and that is where it comes from and that is where it
should always stay, but the problem is not just evil or
the Devil or anything like that we as humans feel the
need to always be in charge, we fight for survival, we
fight for freedom, we fight for the right to fight, we have
fought against each other since Adam and Eve, all for
power and greed and oil, and weapons of mass destruction
that was probably some kids toy gun but just the same,
we need to all put aside race and religion gender and
tradition and start looking at what is the most important
and that is what we have inside. He smiled and said “do
you get it?” I thought about it for several minutes and
said yes, I do, so I turned to the Death and said sorry
not today I need to go, God smiled and she closed her
eyes death was furious and before he could say a word
standing next to him was his mother in law yelling at him
so he turned and ran as fast as he could with her right
behind him then her and I laughed so hard I fell down
on the floor, it was dark I looked around I was dazed I
must have had a dream and fell out of the bed, I thought
all of this was just a dream? God, The Devil, Death,
Buddha, President and Mrs. Reagan. I smirked crawled
back in bed said my prayers and went back to sleep, I
never saw that deck of cards on the nightstand until the
morning, the card showing was the queen of hearts so I
drew mine laughed and went to put it back but it slipped
fell on the ground face up, it was the joker showing.

Poet Richard M Knittle Jr.
A #Poets Journey