Road from ALIENATHAN by Nathan Evans

I left my home when I was twelve years old:
I didn’t know where I was going but I knew
I had to go, so I shut the door on everything
I’d ever known and set off down the road.

I was on the road; I was lost and it was raining.
I had no map; there was no-one to give me
directions. Suddenly a car pulled up beside me.
The door opened: a man was driving. He said
his name was God and he asked me where
I was going. I said, ‘I know I’m going somewhere
‘but I don’t know exactly where.’ He said, ‘Get in.
'I’ll take you there.’

And I said, ‘Give me more than I see
‘give me something bigger to believe in.’
God said, ‘Believe in me and I will give you
'everything.’ So I got in.

For seven years I sat in that passenger seat
and God sat behind the wheel and as we drove
he told me about heaven and he told me about hell.
He said, ‘Heaven’s where we’re headin' and hell’s
'what happens if we stop. Keep your eyes
'on the road ahead and never turn to look.'

So for seven years we never stopped
and I never turned to look. I saw the world
through a windscreen and I only saw it:
I never touched it.

But after seven years I was hungry
and I needed a piss so I asked God
if I could get out for a bit. God looked
disapproving.He said, ‘Can’t you wait?’
I said, ‘How much longer?’ He said,
‘As long as it takes.’

He dropped me by the side of the road.
He gave me money for food. He said, 'Be back
'in ten minutes,' and I really thought I would.

But I left God sitting by the side of the road.
Perhaps he’s still there, perhaps he picked up
someone else or perhaps he’s driving on to heaven
alone.

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