NAPOWRIMO #5: JESUS CHRIST GOES NUCLEAR 3

For 2011's National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Troy's Work Table is attempting to write thirty poems in thirty days without the help of writing prompts from other websites.

Many of these are still in some sort of draft stage, but that is the nature of the Work Table.

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JESUS CHRIST GOES NUCLEAR 3

The Adversary takes Jesus to the top of a peak
and shows him the ships and collonades of the world.

All this is yours he whispers, while his craggy hand wipes across
this scene of marketplaces and docks and public squares.

Jesus closes his eyes and speaks refusal.

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The Advocate takes Jesus to the top of a peak
and shows him the Law and the Prophets.

This is the future she whispers, while Jesus stares into the faces
of three uncouth rough-and-tumble fishermen, his companions.

Jesus closes his eyes and speaks within.

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Jesus the Christ goes nuclear upon this peak:
time and space and matter collapsing into a fist-sized hole

in his chest where his human heart should be.

He becomes a flash of white light and heat
a wave of energy that strips flesh and bleaches bone

burns bark from the fragrant cedars of Lebanon

crushes stones into sand
and fuses sand into glass.

Cities and siege walls crumble
dry bones knit themselves together in wilderness places.

The stones of the Temple ignite and burn
while the waters of the seas evaporate.

Jesus opens his eyes and the light increases
although this is surely an impossibility.

Jesus turns his gaze heavenward
as a Voice speaks its Word upon him:
This is my beloved Son, the alpha
and the omega, listen to him.

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Peter and the Sons of Thunder stand upon the peak
and watch this vision unfold before them

with its tectonic fury and kinetic thrust.

As one wave after another of warm light courses around them and through them
the stink of their sin runs down their thighs and calves.

Hours and years and eons of emanation
are encapsulated in the mere seconds it takes Jesus to close his hand

and corral the particles, the waves, of light.

We will build altars to this moment squeaks Peter.

Jesus closes his eyes and speaks aloud
No, we will leave this mountain and moment.
We will speak of it, but not now, soon.
We will speak of it to remember me.

And Jesus begins to shuffle in the direction of nearby desert towns.

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Copyright © 2011 by Troy's Work Table