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Hughes

Ted Hughes
1930-1998

"Crow's Theology"
From "Crow", 1970

 
Crow realized God loved him –
Otherwise, he would have dropped dead.
So that was proved.
Crow reclined, marvelling, on his heart-beat.

And he realized that God spoke Crow –
Just existing was His revelation.

But what
Loved the stones and spoke stone?
They seemed to exist too.
And what spoke that strange silence
After his clamour of caws faded?

And what loved the shot-pellets
That dribbled from those strung-up mummifying crows?
What spoke the silence of lead?

Crow realized there were two Gods –

One of them much bigger than the other,
Loving his enemies
And having all the weapons.

© Ted Hughes
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