- Theodicy After Dickinson
If Paradise has cul-de-sacs— gold-leafed asphalt, a gild on sewer drains and manhole caps, on every structure built
upon a common state of grace— they are not mirrored here, and so one tries to make here close: this holy glint on empty beers,
say, from dew gathering in curbside bins. And though it’s less golden- than it is urine-tinted, over the roofs of tract houses,
day’s acute light coalesces and one can faintly see this place’s minor holinesses without contingency.
So, why should one believe in much of anything? Thomas, upon reaching out, did touch God. Faith came last. [End Page 115]
Joshua Robbins is the author of Praise Nothing (University of Arkansas Press, 2013). His recognitions include the James Wright Poetry Award, the New South Prize, selection for the Best New Poets anthology, and a Walter E. Dakin fellowship in poetry from the Sewanee Writers’ Conference. He is Visiting Assistant Professor of English at University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, where he teaches creative writing and literature. joshuajrobbins@gmail.com