garden

Revamped a bit-


Are you still lonely?
does your heart still ache
like it did that night
in the garden of your abandonment?

Did you think of Adam and Eve
when you saw your friends
sprawled down and asleep
your coppery red sweat
plaintive words that rang in the heat:
Can’t you stay awake with me?

a mile away
Judas heart beat, beat, beat
the priests played him on puppet strings
and they all danced toward you
hidden in the night
past the houses of those you healed
Judas thought they would fight
they would use their new legs and new sight
to raise an army and win a war

he never saw you on a cross
but on a horse instead
and he didn’t listen
when you said
your kingdom was not here
but the priests kingdom was and is
and their swords were ready
while Peter dreamed dreams of the simple and sweet
and you begged:
if there is any other way…
a soon-to-be Savior that wept

you went to your friends
and woke them up again
another plea
you were lonely and afraid,
-but they were tired Lord, so tired-
so you went back to your grass and tears and knees
your way God, not mine
and then you heard Judas heart
beat, beat, beat
and saw the hell-strings
of the puppet that gave you a kiss on the cheek

and their legs burned as they ran
they were awake and afraid and naked and ashamed
running from the garden like adam and eve

but, oh God! there was no army and
Judas could not live with his lips and
as your mother watched you die
she screamed your cry:
My god, My god, why have you forsaken me?

and then your final words-
They know not what they do
but some of them did, some of them do
are you still lonely, Lord?

because we are still naked and ashamed and running and afraid

we let you save us from hell but
rarely from ourselves
from name brand fig leaves
and chasing after lovers less wild
we are all
sprawled and asleep
we are tired Lord, so tired
of having Judas hearts
in a kingdom of priests
stuck somewhere between eden and gethsemene