what happened to the first three?
disease, murderous yet lazy, skipped them.
and us?
afraid of an eternity without sight
of her.
my son should know her.
will he get to
know the crazy-contagion of her laugh
and the funny cynicism of one
who thoroughly understands how
the world works?
i confess anger now.
why did she choose foolishness?
oh but then i remember – she
rejected
abandoned
forgot
perhaps foolishness chose her.
perhaps it chose all of us.
hopelessness is also a cancer -
growing, destroying,
looming larger when the number
of tomorrows becomes countable.
one destroys breath
the other destroys future.
away with foolishness, dear woman.
come to hope
come to life
over here where i stand and see it so clear
he has a name
Jesus meant nothing for so long.
he sits where you left him,
probably sipping Dr. Pepper
and singing Otis Redding, maybe Ray Charles,
but certainly hoping you will sing too.
and your faith, that was easier to put aside
than those damned cigarettes,
can erase the uncertainty
of tomorrow.
