Look, God, I have never spoken to you,
But now, I want to say, “how do you do?”
You see, God, they told me You didn’t exist
And like a fool, I believed all this.
Last night, from a shell-hole, I saw Your sky
And I figured then they had told me a lie.
Had I taken time to see things You made,
I’d have known they weren’t calling a spade a spade.
I wonder, God if You’d shake my hand.
Somehow, I feel that You will understand.
Funny, I had to come to this hellish place
Before I had the time to see Your face.
Well, I guess there isn’t much more to say.
But I’m sure glad, God, that I met You today.
I guess the zero hour will soon be here,
But I’m not afraid since I know You’re near.
There’s the signal — I’ve got to go.
I like You lots, I want You to know.
Look now, this will be a horrible fight.
Who knows? I may come to Your house tonight.
Though I wasn’t friendly to You before,
I wonder, God, if You’d wait at Your door?
Look, I’m crying — Me — shedding tears!
I wish I had known You these many years.
Well, I have to go now, God — Goodbye.
Strange, since I met You, I’m not afraid to die.
Thank you. — No Name, No Town.
ANSWER: If you put the first few words of this into a search engine online, the poem, or near identical versions of it, appears on several websites. One site says the poem, which is called “A Soldier’s Conversation,” was penned by Frances Angermayer in Kansas City on June 3, 1943, and was “found in the possession of numerous boys who fell on the battlefields of WWII.”
Plenty of other sites give alternative origin stories, titles and potential authors for this same poem, which many soldiers obviously found meaningful.
Use the QR code to go to Sun Spots online for additional information and links. This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com, tweeted @SJ_SunSpots or posted on the Sun Spots Facebook page at facebook.com/SunJournalSunSpots. This column can also be read online at sunjournal.com/sunspots. We’ve joined Pinterest at pinterest.com/sj_sunspots.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
