An American sentence:
Jews wouldn’t exist without faith, regardless of whether God exists.
What’s an ‘American Sentence’?
Allen Ginsberg, inventor of the American Sentence, felt that the haiku didnโt work as well in English. Ginsberg decided to remove the line structure of the haiku, maintaining the requirement of 17 syllables total. He felt that removing the line count freed the American Sentence up for the idiosyncrasies of English phonemes.
The requirements:
- Composed in one line;
- Syllabic, 17 syllables;
- Condensed, written with no unnecessary words or articles;
- Complete sentence or sentences;
- Includes a turn or enlightenment.
Let’s write poetry together!

When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.
–Ben Harper (b. 1969)
Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!
Hi Barbara, few Christians would be so without faith. If God were found not to exist I think faith would remain.
โค ๐ Andrew โค ๐
[โฆ] wrote this American Sentence in reply to ben Alexanderโs American Sentence on the Skepticโs Kaddish. His sentence [โฆ]
๐
God exists in good faith while all live a second of serenity.
Excellent, Mat โฃ๏ธ
Faith is believing without DNA evidence or incontrovertible proof.
๐๐ Muri ๐๐
No religion would exist without faith.
True. But the Jews are a people. They existed before Judaism did.
This a profound observation and study. It is the word Faith that makes the statement so powerful.
๐ค๐๐ป Abi ๐ค๐๐ป
This is quite profound, David. I think there’s much to gain from this. Could it also be a deterrent?
๐ Terveen ๐ ~ a deterrent from what?
I enjoyed this American sentence. Thank you for sharing.
โค๏ธ๐ฅฐ Molly โค๏ธ๐ฅฐ
True of everyone ๐ love this ๐
๐ Selma ๐
God must exist without faith only as skeptics exist without doubt.
imho ๐
๐ CES ๐
that sounds like a breakthrough; only I humbly dare to add: a) no people would exist known or unknown, whether misguided or not; b) g-o-d does not ex-ist; c) g-o-d maybe ultimate creativity, self-communicating on various levels to wonderment… Shabbat shalom
๐ Barbara ๐