poem of the day 03.25.14

the ignorance in common men

there is a palpable downtick in joy

when he gets into the long post office line

hello sal

hello judy

he taps the guy in front of me

hello richie

richie is carrying too many packages

his whole life looks soured confronted with this guy

hello eddie, he says

then richie tries to turn back around

but eddie…

you see i don’t got my cast no more, huh richie

richie nods

i’m still supposed to have it but i took it off

why’d you do that, eddie?

because of god, he says

i prayed to god and he told me it was time

to take the cast off

richie nods like he knows the mysteries of god

the doc told me, when i put a cast on you

i put it on there for a reason

that so, eddie?

yeah, but i told him my god told me to take it off

so i did

eddie says, the doctor couldn’t find nothing wrong with the leg

but you’re still limping, richie says

eddie shakes his head and says,

all these ignorant people

these non-believers and these atheists

what are they gonna do in the end?

i don’t know, eddie, richie says

i’m a confident man, eddie says

i’m secure in my faith and i’m not no heathen

i know that god is real and can’t no one tell me different

eddie starts to sing

make me a channel of your peace

where there is hatred let me bring your love

hello sarah

hello joey

as more people come in the post office

they don’t say anything to eddie

because they’ve been indoctrinated in his faith before

and richie has already turned back around

involved in packages to granddaughters and siblings

these people, eddie says to aloud and to himself

such ignorance

they just don’t know

they just don’t realize

that god could stop their heart at any minute

if he wants me to have a limp for the rest of my life

let it be his will

eddie goes back to singing

where there is injury, your pardon lord

and where there is doubt, true faith in you

it’s a revival that none of us can escape

then eddie taps me on the shoulder and says,

i know i’m going to heaven brother

what about you?

sure, i tell him

right to heaven in a hand basket

if i ever survive this post office line.