Argument with God by Henry Barlow

📚 Need a custom study guide on any literary text? Get the best study guide money can buy from us at Literature PADI! Detailed, insightful, and crafted by literature experts to give you maximum value for your money.
[See Pricing & Details!]

Argument with God

My child was struggling for life in hospital,
And I, worried tense and tired,
Sat in silent prayer;
In violent silence arguing with God.

God, I said,
Why do you allow him to suffer so?
Why him all the time?
Why?
God was silent!
Not a word from him,
Not a word.

Maybe, I thought,
God is angry with me.
I’ll appease my God,
Promise Him to be good.
God, I pleaded,
Please God,
I am not a good man,
But I'll try to be
ONLY,
My child must live;
Live free from pain.

God, I continued,
You know how I love him don’t you?
Don’t you, don’t you, DON’T YOU?
But,
God was dumb.
Dumb, like my child.

Then I said to myself,
God is just.
I’ll appeal for justice.
He cannot deny me justice.
God, I called,
Though you are silent,
I am sure you hear me.
Be fair, be just,
Let him live strong and happy.

Then,
I saw on the wall,
A cockroach pregnant with egg,
In the pains of labour,
Bringing forth new life.
I snatched a newspaper,
And hit the cockroach.
It fell on its back,
Struggling for life,
And I crushed it,
With the heel of my shoe.

All the time I was praying,
Violently pleading for life.

— Christopher Henry Muwanga Barlow

1967

Related:

• Content Analysis of “Argument with God”
• Themes in “Argument with God”

Join Our Social Media Channels:

• WhatsApp: Literature PADI
• Telegram: Literature PADI
• YouTube: @literaturepadi
• Facebook: Literature PADI

We also have two WhatsApp chatrooms with a little above 1,300 like-minded members. You can join any of them for further literary discussions:

1. Literature PADI (Group 1)
2. Literature PADI (Group 2)

Ensure you join one at a time to allow others to be part of our wonderful community.