9/30: Christianity and How Black People Got Got
toskateonsun:
You? You’re a rock.
God is the dirt beneath you.
It pushes you up, up,
A pedestal
God says “I give you eyes”
suddenly the horizon
Is at your nose, you see
The cityscape which
Doubles as
everything, He says.
But is it your nose?
Touch it with your right —
you have no hand,
Because you’re a rock.
If you have a nose, but
No hand to touch it…?
God gave you eyes
And he said that with those
Eyes, the horizon
Is right there
At your nose
So you look
keep looking
At what you think to be
Nose/horizon
confuse them for each other
And regard your vision
As endless/a vertical eternity.
You can stop being a rock, now.
Be something more animate,
The New Testament allows that,
And we’re in an age of religious
Progression
So, now go
be a woman/mother.
Look. I take your son.
Anything done in my name
Is exempt from the cool
Chuckle of tragedy, so
It was a favored death, so
Actually - I did you a favor.
You weep and call my name,
I fill you up
Up
Up
Your faith is a white climax
Slick and withholding
Spill out
Spill out
What pain?
The only thing oppressing
You is your lack of glory.
Say my name.
Say it louder.
I don’t believe you.
I take another son.
What pain?
The only thing oppressing
You is sin.
Say my name.
Say it louder.
I don’t believe you. Your loyalty
Lessens the lash —
Keep quiet for me,
Precious,
My capacious hand/a canyon
Of your few breaths/I take the
Day/replace it with tea light —
That’s the sun now. That’s all you
Get. Don’t you dare look up,
though. Don’t you dare
Look
Up.