Poetry

A Question for God

Knute Skinner

At the end of his life, Job got his cattle back and became a

Happy Man, but all Jesus got was the Resurrection.

—from a student response to a test question

 

What were they like, Job’s cattle?

Were they dry stock? milkers?

Did he scrutinise them with contented, proprietary interest

while complacently caressing spots

where the boils had been?

Did his comforters eye with envy

a Happy Man?

a man blessed with such cattle?

 

God only knows, I suppose,

so go ask God.

All He got was the Resurrection, of course,

but He’s up there in Heaven with Himself

where He/They remember Job’s cattle

and remember his boils

and remember those faithful who witnessed the Resurrection

believing, perhaps, in their limited vision,

it was quite enough.