Tuesday, March 25, 2014

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.                               

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