Star As The Suffering Man

Star As The Suffering Man
© Surazeus
2026 08 15

Despite strange joy of reawakening, 
through struggle to transcend egg of the mind, 
James stumbles half awake in mirrored hall 
where shadow of his non-existent ghost 
explains new formulas for gaining wealth, 
since we succeed despite our messy lives. 

Though Death stalks our steps from day of our birth, 
we ignore dark shadow of final doom, 
James mumbles at reflection of his soul, 
then drinks orange juice from skull of Nemesis 
whose letters keep arriving in the mail 
long after she climbed cliff of happiness. 

Or did she fall into wild sea of change, 
James ponders as he drinks coffee of hope, 
then stands in drizzle on the asphalt street 
to wait for the bus full of nameless ghosts 
who ride along Plutonian shore of fate 
to work all day in clanking factories. 

Perhaps they will make commercial of faith 
in which I star as the Suffering Man, 
James smirks while swallowing aspirin pills 
to numb terrible pain that threads his soul 
with humbling anguish of the devil laugh 
that strips his spirit of its proverb shield. 

Adjusting screws with sprocket of his heart, 
contrary to alignment check of faith, 
James assembles car engine of desire 
to build time machine that carries our souls 
faster across unmeasured space of fear 
so we can find elusive pots of gold. 

Strolling down Seventh Avenue at dusk 
past flashing neon signs that lure his heart 
to smokey bars where country angels dance, 
James notices the white horse of his fate 
floats huge beside him on wings of desire, 
so he decides to run for President. 

Proclaiming new agenda of his heart 
before huge crowd of people in the hall, 
James outlines steps of action he will take 
supporting businesses with tax incentives, 
then waves as thousands chant his name with pride, 
since we succeed despite our messy lives. 

After he loses on election night, 
rejected by the people of the land, 
James sits in wood chair by the mountain lake 
catching fish with Jesus Christ at his side 
as they plot revolution of the rich 
to enslave the people with credit debt.