Till He Wakes In Church

Till He Wakes In Church
© Surazeus
2024 08 03

The angry man who stalks the broken street 
raises steel gun to shoot his enemies 
but when it writhes into the laughing snake 
he howls in rage at television screens 
that shoot rockets of dollar bills at Hell 
till he wakes in church at the clanging bell. 

The lonely man who melts into old books 
grasps bent brass key with trembling palsied hands 
to open door of time which leads his mind 
beyond the known to empty desert land 
where turtle-shelled cars worship the glass moon 
till he wakes in church to the radio tune. 

The bitter man who tears houses to shards 
kicks empty tin cans down the railroad tracks 
though eyeless eagle of the patriot 
tears heads off statues of dead generals 
who fought to keep voiceless people enslaved 
till he wakes in church where no one is saved. 

The hungry man who builds electric cars 
paints murals on metal factory walls 
that depict his ancestors from the sea 
killing native tribes with the alphabet 
that fuels gears of industrial machines 
till he wakes in church of the Philistines. 

The greedy man who scams gullible fools 
preaches salvation through the afterlife 
for those who believe the ancient dead king 
will reassemble molecular souls 
from dirt that roots of trees transform to fruit 
till he wakes in church of the broken lute. 

The haughty man who steals the crown of thorns 
attempts to establish new monarchy 
ruled by the warmongering Sons of Christ 
when they crucify the socialist seer 
for preaching all humans have equal rights 
till he wakes in church of the white-faced knights. 

The gambling man who draws the Joker card 
considers joining the religious cult 
so he can rule their kingdom of the dead 
by riding donkey through the city gates 
where he gives camera eyes to the blind 
till he wakes in church of the programmed mind. 

The singing man who leads the faceless ghost 
plays lyre of Mercury with eerie wail 
with hymn of praise for the spell-casting toad 
who reveals secret of the Holy Grail 
as woman who bears child for Wounded King 
till he wakes in church of the angel wing.