Hybrid/Halfbreed

My mother was Jewish,
Daughter of a physician,
Niece of a Reform rabbi.
My father was southern
Hardshell Baptist,
Son of a winter coal
Miner and summer farmer.
They meet at SIU and
Fall in love despite
The approbation of both
Families and friends
Whose fears fade as
Their children are born.
At which point they must
Decide which religion
To bring up the kids,
They opt to compromise
And raise them in the
Presbyterian church
Because it has both
Guilt and Jesus.
I attend Presbyterian
Sunday school and delight
In pre-destination as it
Frees me to do as I please,
Much to the annoyance
Of my Sunday school teacher.
I spend time at the local
Temple talking to the rabbi
Who gazes at me in
Veiled foreboding as I
Will never be bar mitzvahed.
When in the countryside I
Attend a revival to learn
The cost of faith in
Miracles and letting go
Of reason and logic in
A group effort to
Transcend our
Conventional
Reality and
Glimpse
Or even
Touch,
God.
I decide no one is telling the
Whole truth but only see
Their own piece to the
Puzzle leaving me a
Unitarian Christian
Believing in the
Teachings of
Jesus on
Love
And forgiveness but
Rejecting any sort
Of divine status
In favor of
A reforming
Rabbi and
A rebel.