Thoughts while gazing at Jesus statue in the corridor of Resurrection Church

 The eyes of Jesus grow large when bombs shatter the earth

       and the mouth of Jesus floods with dirt, 

       butter and salt 

in the slums and in the camps 

       and under the on-ramps   

because Jesus lives in the wounded,

       Jesus inhabits the humbled 

       and exalts them 

and the ears of Jesus amplify 

      their moans, 

he understands every language 

      because all people deserve 

understanding—those 

     who have done something and those 

who have done nothing 

because the heart of Jesus redeems

      and the hands of Jesus shoo away filth 

      and the knees of Jesus ache from 

      lifting those he exalts

and the elbows of Jesus ache 

       from loading oxcarts and 

       limos with the exalted 

       and soon to be exalted 

because Jesus believes 

whomever wants to be first 

must be the slave of all,

so in everything you do, 

do as you want others 

to do to you

       because that sums up Jesus, 

       his last wish and testimony 

       as well as the last wish of all 

       the prophets before and after 

except the false ones. 

 

If only I could live fearless, fully awake

 .......every moment clear between these

ears and eyes

        So time would quiet down, 

        so it would move 

slowly 

         on hands and knees. 

If tasks, news, silly things

       did not hold 

       me in a drowsy  trance

where time zip-lines away

       so it is always the  past 

      or it is always the future.  

How to keep this mind tuned 

     to the shapes of clouds 

    and phases of the moon, 

to the skunks that nibble from the cat’s bowl, 

       the weeping camilla I planted, 

       chimes I hung above it

and after read a poem out loud 

      about why there’s nothing to be so sad about 

     then write a poem about the worm

glistening on the deck 

      and mention all the things Im grateful for

and so turn time into my loving friend 

      who shares delights rather than 

      my foe 

     who steals everything I love.