The last rites of Bokononism

By Jack Brummet, Literature Editor
I am reading Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.'s Cat's Cradle for the first time since high school.  Vonnegut's early books are fascinating.  Without going into a long-winded explanation of the book, I wanted to point out one short section.  One focus of the book is the religion of Bokononism in the impoverished and strange country of San Lorenzo.  I was really struck by the Bokononist Last Rites.  What a sweet and touching prayer to say as you are about to pass over. 

The Last Rites of the Bokononism
(Each line is said once by the person giving the rites and then repeated by the dying person.)

God made mud.
God got lonesome.
So God said to some of the mud, "Sit up!"
"See all I've made," said God, "the hills, the sea, the sky, the stars."
And I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around.
Lucky me, lucky mud.
I, mud, sat up and saw what a nice job God had done.
Nice going, God.
Nobody but you could have done it, God! I certainly couldn't have.
I feel very unimportant compared to You.
The only way I can feel the least bit important is to think of all the mud that didn't even get to sit up and look around.
I got so much, and most mud got so little.
Thank you for the honor!
Now mud lies down again and goes to sleep.
What memories for mud to have!
What interesting other kinds of sitting-up mud I met!
I loved everything I saw!
Good night.
I will go to heaven now.
I can hardly wait...
To find out for certain what my wampeter was...
And who was in my karass...
And all the good things our karass did for you.
Amen.

---o0o---