a prose poem from 82-87 era

a poem from 1982-1987 era - unsolicited, unpublished. a prose poem.

on a few days off, after a rough night shift ... went to Wildlife Safari this morning, saw dem big cats up close. Pretty impressive creatures. Got close to Bison and Rhinos as well. Interesting place and worth rediscovering every four or five years.



LESSON OF THE GYPSY

i met four gypsies - each with a golden earring, each with a curse, on the distant highway to leads from the silver highway of the City of David to the golden highway of the City of God.

Of the four, two were blind and two were lame.

As they hobbled along, the sun was pleasant and they wailed the names of their mothers turned to whores and their gods turned to the pleasures of war and though each voice cried in imperfect harmony, the names they expelled as a vile arrangement with unknown beasts was identical to the other.

i asked them of their lament.

They knocked me down and spat upon my face and took my wallet and threw it into the dancing river that ran wonderfully along the Highway of God. They cursed me and then fell on their knees, begging for forgiveness.

i stood up, silent and strong, as a judge or assassin and demanded they be out of my life.

Without saying a word, they rose and took to the highway, tears, the delicate touch of sorrow, dripped from their eyes.

And as they vanished into the haze of holiness that rose along the edge of the golden Highway of God, i felt only envy and found myself too cursing mothers turned to whoring and gods turned to the pleasures of war.