God Spoke to Me Last Night

God spoke to me last night, while I was in a cafe in Jakarta. She said it's too crowded, one snap of her fingers we were suddenly elsewhere. Lots of water, lots of wind. View was nice but a bit grim. She was furious so I asked her, "what's wrong?". She said that, I went back in time. And it was the greatest crime of all

There I was, Sitting just a chair away from God. The All mother calling me a bat, a pest over a cup of coffee. The wind was howling, waters crackled around our feet. I looked at her in the eye, A moment of silence. I braced myself to ask her, "aren't we all time travelers? Visiting the past everyday to try shape the future? Isn't that human nature. One with your image ,Would you say that we are all cheaters? Wouldn't it also make you one? I am me, because I learn from the past. So you can't stop me. Not or nor any god.
I won't forget what I am.
I won't forget yesterday.
Even in the face of hell

It felt like days. We're still there After countless times of circular reasoning and tireless explanation of how all loving she is. Going through my ears as the wind began to shout stronger. "don't disrupt the balance. Forget the past, move on and I promise you to be loving". She tried to make a pact with me
But I can't, I can't forget the past.
When I remember my friends practicing bigotry
When I remember my family shutting me down for my religious opinion
When I remember Moslem friends telling me that I deserve hell as a Christian
When I remember Christian friends telling me that I deserve hell as an atheist
When I remember authorities telling me that I deserve jail for being myself
I won't forget what I am
I won't forget yesterday
Sometimes, I wanna hide

She slammed the table. God was talking to me, and she was angry. Thunder rings, heavy rain. I understood then. She created harmony. One made of silence. To visit the past is to learn from it. And learning is loud, A crime against harmony. But still, I'd rather be a convict than a mute.
'Cause in silence in hear people whispering '65
Skim one group, so they come out as heroes
In silence I hear hounds barking to reenact '98
Raping and killing Chinese when all they killed were Indonesians
She threw her arms toward me. Split seconds. I saw crimson clouds. Everything went black. Years of my life flashed in a blink. I remember things that never happened before
Countless tragedies, persecutions
Cathedral burned down, mobs rammed down
I opened my eyes. Saw my wrinkled hands .Illuminated by dim bonfire. Children all around me. Waiting for me to say something. God showed me myself in another world. In which I have failed. I know bad things happen when it's too late
Still, I won't forget who I am
I won't forget yesterday

In between the stories for the kids. The colours I see started fading. I was out, fell down headfirst. I opened my eyes. Back again in the middle of elsewhere. There she was, God almighty, standing upon me. She showed me possibilities, bad ones. I was mad, I stood up, Face to face. I asked her,
"Why would you let this happen?
Where were you whenever we need you?
Were they all your plan?
Am I your son?
Or did you adopt me?
Where do you hide the voices of your step-children?
Why do I need to constantly run from my own people?
Why do you let me suffer throughout the years?"
I took two steps closer, Told her my fixed price. I'll still go back and forth in time. Those things I saw, they must not happen.
Learn from the past
Learn from possible future
Learn that blood will never be the answer for any conflict
Learn that the only scapegoat is prejudice for people I don't understand
Learn that I don't need to understand everyone
Learn that it would be enough just respecting each other's shoes
Children need to remember that censorship doesn't solve
Friends need to remember that sugar coated message doesn't solve
Ghostfolks need to remember that it's okay to be one in a million
We need to remember that speaking up shouldn't have a price
I need to remember that I saw possible Multiverses in this fucked up world
No guns, no sword
No violent horde
No punishment for people who learn from the past
No mobs swearing to rape anyone who don't fast
No children restrained because differences and class
No religious sites burned down
No school of thoughts gunned down
No stepsons or favored daughters
Just humans
That's what I see and I'm sorry. If the state got me, put a lead in me
If God erased me, after I'm finished telling this story. Please pass this ona nd repeat after me
I won't forget who I am
I won't forget yesterday

I spoke a lot. Don't think know it was necessary. She shook her head. Let out a sigh. Suddenly the ground was shaking. Eyes blinded by light. Back in a cafe in Jakarta. I looked around and she wasn't there.
Amazed
Such magic
Applause
Curtain call
But wait, Whom did I talk to? Then again I was in a cafe in Jakarta. The music was loud. They were playing Kendrick. Doesn't fit the place's branding. But well, whatever. It was good. I should shut up and enjoy my latte. So either way it doesn't matter
If I spoke with myself
If I spoke with society
Or if
God spoke to me last night

-Baskara Putra, 2017, MULTIVERSES