A murder
of crows
fought
for the ribbon
of his last words.
The sky
turned black
then red.
Judas knelt
and wept
alone
in the upper room.
Shrouds
of dust
swirled
through
alleyways.
The Holy Infants
burst from their tombs
and tumbled above
the marketplace.
And when it was finished:
Three soldiers
in camos and balaclavas
snapped their steel wands
and pushed the crowd back.
His friends
lowered the cross
and pulled the nails
from his hands and feet.
A wild dog
lapped
at a rivulet
of blood.
And when it was finished:
The rain began
And the rain
washed him
And the mud
anointed him
And the women
hid his body.
And when it was finished:
They made
their way home
Through fields of lupine
and endless streets of rubble
Passed checkpoints
and concertina wire
Passed trash fires
flowering jasmine
liquor stores
and crack whores
huddled for warmth
Passed priests
slumped
against
the temple's wall.
And when it was finished:
The darkness
welcomed Him
and Hell
begged
for a single
drop of water.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
