Isaac

Isaac

would you wager
the life
of the one
you most love
to prove
that all you believe
is true?

are you sure enough
that your hand
of truth
can't be beaten
so sure
that you'd risk
the innocent life
of the one you most love
to be offered
sacrificed
to the possessor
of the greater hand
of truth?

like abraham
would you risk
would you sacrifice
what you most love
to gamble
that your truth of things
is anywhere close
to the real 
truth?

would you gamble
with the life
of an innocent
the exact god or gods
or no god
of your choosing
is precise
while all the others
are wrong?

would you gamble
with the life 
of an innocent
that the flavors
and consequential customs
of your denomination
or sect
as methodist
mennonite
wiccan
or raëlian
are more true
than any 
other?

would you gamble
eternal hellfire and damnation
for an innocent
for your convictions
and customs
of foreskins
fish on fridays
or if king ahaziah
was either 
22 or 42
when he ruled?

would you gamble
with the life
of the one you love most
that your convictions 
of what justice is
under any dire circumstance
is the true way
of either god
or nature?

would you gamble
with the life 
of an innocent
that your prophet
as many believe
is mere prophet
or 
are you certain
absolutely certain
he is 
the one and only
son of god?

would you gamble
with the innocent life
of the one
you most love
over days or reckoning
on red
and
an indifferent
universe
on black?

would you gamble
that numerical errors
in scripture
are inconsequential
to theological contradictions
that they're equal
or that either
or both
are relevant
or irrelevant?

you wouldn't
and shouldn't
make that wager
because you know
the test
against any 
ultimate truth
would prove
most of your precious beliefs
and convictions
false

yet
you invest
the whole
of your life
in those same
convictions
that you know
aren't worth wagering 
with or against
the life
of anyone
you love