Sudden Shock Of Cognizance

Sudden Shock Of Cognizance
© Surazeus
2025 11 19

Nineteen years before the empire will fall 
Jake wrenches upward from brain-tangled sleep 
to slouch dazed on edge of the broken bed, 
hair more ruffled than wind-blown raven wings, 
and stares bleak-eyed out smudged window of angst 
at cars racing swiftly on highway bridge. 

Tugging on torn jeans and tattered tee-shirt, 
and trudging out the door in untied shoes, 
Jake wanders with the frantic crowd of sheep 
with bored wolf eyes in late autumn sun glare 
to flop on iron bench by the book store 
and watch the world grow wealthy without him. 

Emerging from dazed numbness of despair, 
that paralyzes his cumbersome heart 
with tedious nonchalance of earnest dread, 
Jake stares with sudden shock of cognizance 
from turbid apprehension of grim gloom 
at lurid faces reflecting his horror. 

Ten thousand years after he tames the horse 
Jake sneers at people in arrogant suits 
who strut with pride at employment of faith 
with contempt that they are robots of greed 
willing to bow with obsequious fawning 
through servility to power of wealth. 

Lurching to his feet with sudden insight 
when holy spirit of the great blue sky 
flashes bright in pulsing sponge of his brain, 
Jake raps expansive sermon in taut verse 
of rhyme-asserting prophecy for truth 
presenting moral virtues of great men. 

Though some slow down and listen to his spell 
preaching complex analysis of life 
through logical deductions of the heart 
that offer solutions to global problems, 
Jake never notices that people drop 
money in his hat as they hurry past. 

Exhausted from hours of preaching hard truth 
through deep perceptive verses about life, 
Jake spreads Icarian wings of solitude 
and floats away into the sparkling sky 
in glorious ascension up to Heaven 
where Jesus welcomes him to paradise. 

Two thousand years after Jesus leaves Earth 
Jake eats hamburger in the city park 
then wanders back home where he pays the rent 
with fractured fragments of his bleeding bones, 
and falls asleep in tangled sheets of faith 
to dream he is the raven Odin tends.