Wednesday, February 9, 2011

poem of the day 02.09.11

jesus loves everyone

i was sitting there thinking how it’s
still twenty-six years until retirement
when i see that he has this small group of teens
backed against the wall

he’s been in here all day
reading the bible on his laptop

he’s shaking his finger at the teens
they are holding pamphlets
their eyes shifting back and forth
looking toward the exit

what’s going on over here? i ask

he turns to me
has reddish-blonde hair
a beard with no moustache

i don’t like him
but that’s par for the course
where me and humanity are concerned

if they can stand here all day
and talk about sex
i can talk to them about jesus, he says

i don’t think they were talking to you, i say

but i could hear them

i look at the teens
typical troublemakers in this place
they are still holding the pamphlets
and looking toward the exit

the pamphlets have illuminated crosses on them

look, this is a public building and i can’t
have jesus talk in here, i say

why not? he asks, when jesus is all around us

i look around, hoping that this isn’t true
as the teens start to laugh

jesus loves everyone, he says

good, i say
someone has to because i sure as hell don’t

the man gives me a look
he’s holding a pamphlet and his hand
begins to shake

shit, i think
if he hands me one of those
i’m going to knock him out and lose my job

i look at the teens

why don’t you guys keep the sex talk down
i tell them

and why don’t you go back over to your seat
and talk to yourself about jesus, i tell the man

we're all going to one place
in the end, he says

but he leaves us and sits down

i’m thankful that he doesn’t put
up more of a fight, try to save me

most religious fuckers
are some of the most belligerent people
out there

the teens drop their pamphlets
in the garbage can and sit down

i know there will be more sex talk
more god talk
because the two go hand in hand

but for now it is quiet

and i go back to where i was
thinking about retirement
twenty-six years
countless hours
and five minutes less than the last time
i thought about it.

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