1

I went looking for Jesus one day.
I looked under the stone.
I cleft the wood.
He wasn’t there.
I went down to the bar.
The man there said,
he was here, but he left early.
I went down to a house
where two or three
were gathered around in his name,
but he wasn’t there either.
They said, if you do see him,
tell him we are waiting
for his second coming.
I went looking for him in the Church
and the Pastor threw the good book at me.
Listen son, he said, you got to buy the whole shebang,
go whole hog.
Be washed in the blood of the lamb.
Jesus is on the cross
and it’s all right with the world.
I sang with the choir.
Halleluiah’s rent the air.
I asked the altar boy.
He winked at me.
I went and sat at the feet of scholars.
I looked for him in the Bible.
I found sin and guilt.
Rape and pillage.
Great doubt and great faith.
I found inspiration.
I found hope and love.
I found a divine plan.
I found a vengeful God.
I found a God who said,
I got no tuck with you.
My chosen people come first
Screw around with them
and I’ll send down fire and brimstone
and knock off your first born for good measure.
Get thee out of my sight you schmuck!
So much for the Old Testament.
I looked in the Gospels.
And saw a lonely man there.
A lamb among ravenous wolves,
fattened for slaughter.
A chip of the old block
programmed to self destruct.
He was part of a plan.
A part player in a divine drama
directed by Cecil De Mille.
Vintage Hollywood.
With a twist in the plot.
In the end, Jesus says, I’ll be back!
And doesn’t wait for the sequel
to make his appearance.
Believe in the power of Jesus
says Paul the Pharisee.
I put him on the cross
and I raised him up from the dead.
My will, my way of life has finally triumphed
and Jesus will always stay
on the cross of his own undoing.
Confused, I went down to the street
and met a bum dressed in rags
with a bottle of whiskey in his hands.
Have you seen Jesus? I asked him.
He took a swig from the bottle
and looked me in the eye.
Yes, I have. He said. Maybe he did.

Want to comment on this Poetry? Sign up to Edit Red and you will be able to comment on Poetry and get access to: Upload your own stories and poems, get readers and their feedback, promote your work...