holy are the reverent
their petitions, solemn
to carry the day, unlock the mysteries
secret chords and riddled tongues
must be practiced
not so, with shipwrecked pirates
and street corner whores
never knowing time for ceremony
so then on stained napkins
scribbled and tied to stones
like the vandal i am
i fastball them through the clouds
little doubt, a window or two
stained glass and gold trimmed
I've shattered, sending the innocent fleeing
knocking David from his perch
Solomon from his porch
SPLASH!
right in Martha's soup
with brows pinched and tongue out
i've said, HERE! this is the one!
really, so certain
zing!!!
SMASH!
while Peter, tsk, tsk'd
but then, -NO WAIT!
that was all wrong
what i really meant was this
zing!!!
INCOMING!
plop
and i changed, and you changed
and they changed, and holy green zebras
everything changed
and so
scribble, tie and hurl
whoosh!
up to the heavens once more
DUCK!
while the moment, my mind, our heart
renegotiated terms
i just kept slingin them stones to the heavens
until, one day, sure i was
that my pirate prayers littered the foyer
ruined Martha's soup
broke every window, beaned poor Lazarus
and sent Stephen back to therapy
and as is my way, to my senses
i arrived far too late
from heaven, the light warbled in waves
the ground rolled like thunder awakened
and as i fell prostrate in Holy terror
i heard, ENOUGH!
cease and desist.
shhhhh....
which prayer might He answer?
i pondered in mumble
did i really mean any of them?
they seem crazy now
if fly i could, i would soar into heaven
sneak in the back door, overwhelm the janitor
gag, bind and closet him
take his place, his broom
clean up the unrighteous mess
I'd find all my twisted prayers
in the soup, in Samsons's hair
Mary's laundry
scattered about the king's feet
and rid them i would, take back the chances of pirates
I'd sweep the glass, paint the porch
and sail my escape back to earth
but i can't fly
and the bells have chimed
so wait i must, for what?
where i said, oh, please do!
or later, when i said, oh no! please don't?
will He find the one where i accused Him?
the angry one? the most foolish one?
will He ignore them?
sweep the whole bunch into hell
to keep Satan amused?
i wait, shipwrecked
tossed in the storm
of a pirate's prayer
