I am afraid after reading all these so-called initiation books that some



cortege of boot lickers will enter my room while I am sleeping and suck



my eyes out with soda straws they will be older men and women much like



the amanuenses with bad breath in the principal’s office who call



up and tell on you the Unferths of the world better beware



I know Jesus would have kicked your teeth in you couldn’t pull that shit on him



he was telling his buddies one night boys I’m glad y’all decided to come on up



and eat supper with me I hadn’t got much there’s a few things I’d like to say



at this time Matthew says to Simon I sure as hell don’t know what he’s got us



here this time for I’m beginning to wonder you talked to him lately



yea I was shooting the shit with him on the mountain but I want to tell you



this Matthew don’t never come up on him when he’s alone he jumped on me



I thought he was going to kill me he was just walking around just talking



to himself waving his arms like he does he’s worse than John



Jude put his hand up to his mouth and said down the table I think Jesus is going



off his rocker get Simon to tell you what he asked me



Simon says he didn’t want to talk about politics or dreams or nothing he just said



Jude next time y’all are over in Mesopotamia why don’t you pick me up a few



bottles of that wine they make over there



sure thing Jesus I says



well now the boss is talking he is saying I asked y’all up here because frankly



I’ve been feeling a little sick lately and I want to make sure y’all know what



to do in case anything happens I know one of you is going to do me in I know



that but goddamnit y’all know those people in town are after my ass



the other night I walked down the streets in a disguise and I seen a couple



of you messing around and drinking with the soldiers what’s going to happen



if one of you gets drunk and lets it slip where I’m hiding out then I’ll



be in a fix you know if they was to find me they going to cut me y’all ever



think about that and Peter ain’t you ever going to get it straight what you’re



supposed to do give me one of those biscuits Judas and go outside and take a



look-see I got you Jesus Judas says



John leans over he says been catching any fish Peter



oh well I been getting a few of a morning they ain’t biting too good now you know



on account of this blamed weather nobody is even listening to Jesus he’s just



talking to himself like he was crazy Matthew says I believe he’s been hitting



that wine a little too hard don’t you reckon



Jesus says another thing I told all of you it’d be better if you didn’t get



involved with women



now just listen to that little two-faced bastard James the Lesser says



we all know what he’s up to shacking up with all those town girls



the other night he was dressed fit to kill and drunk as six hundred dollars



a rolling around in the mud like a hog kissing that whore’s foot why shit



I wish he’d let us in on what he really does



Thomas spoke up for once he says I know what you mean the other day Andrew



and I asked him about some scripture he said leave me alone I don’t know



nothing about that shit and then we seen him cussing out a priest over at the



temple he knew more about it than the elder did



another thing Matthew says I wish he’d start writing what he wants done down



and do it so I can read it you know as well as I do that damned Peter can’t



keep it straight he won’t get anything right



Bartholomew says don’t make no difference atoll cause Paul is going to tell



it like he wants to that’s for damned sure



all the time Jesus just mumbling to himself wine spilt all over his robe



the rest of them chattering and cussing trying to figure him out



John the Baptist about the only one Jesus can count on except for crazy John



is banging his goblet on the table he is saying now ain’t this a sight



spitting in the lord’s face at his own birthday party I’ll swan



Brother John why don’t you tell Jesus what the real problem is



the crazy one says everyone of y’all is chickenshits you are afraid to look



those elders in the eye and tell them what you think ya’ll get up on a rock



to talk and you see a soldier coming and you say anybody seen a stray mule



Jesus is saying to himself I’m going to pull those temples down if I have to



get me a rope and tie it to a pillar and a jackass and do it myself



wake up Jesus Philip says



Paul who hadn’t touched a drop gets up and gets his paper out and says



the nature of the problem Jesus is this the people don’t believe you



those fellows in the temples have got it all organized all they have to do



is send out stooges and hire a couple of rednecks who make out like they’re



crippled they have a big gathering they say the same things you say they



pull off a fake healing the redneck’s wife stands up she says LIE he ain’t lame



he’s just drunk and so all the people go home saying those christians what a



bunch of wind see Jesus they are using your material but they ain’t coming



through so that is making you an enemy of the people we just got to get



organized as is proved here today by your followers carrying on as they did



so I’m getting sold down the river by the elders and their hirelings uh



that’s right Jesus ask anybody here why I didn’t think they’d do that he says



I told you a long time ago not to keep talking with them temple people John says



you should a know’d what they was up to ain’t nobody going to understand you



why you ought to know that when we first run on to you we had second thoughts



we thought you was crazy there’s probably still some sitting down here right



this second that still thinks you are a crazy one but Jesus you should a known



we been through a lot together we go a long way back you should a listened



all they wanted was you they liable to get you yet then they won’t have no



competition they want to keep feeding the hogs the same slop



they the ones that want to get fat man you listening to me Jesus



he says ok if that’s the way they want to do things at the temple



I’m going to change my tactics I going out after these chillun more than I have



been they’ll know I’m telling the truth I still got a few things up my sleeve



left what’s that Paul says



I’m going to do a few things can’t nobody follow



we could always go back to biting the heads off fish and chickens Peter says



why don’t you let us in on it for a change Paul says we follow you around



like we were a bunch of sheep picking up your tab bailing you out of jail



coming up here all the time for supper and what do we get to eat nothing



why can’t you have a little faith in us Jesus



ok this is what we going to do he says hold on who is that walking up the steps



it’s just Judas



how does it go boy Jesus says and the other one answers just fine Jesus just fine



and John the Baptist turns around he says to the one who has just slipped in boy



didn’t I see you talking to some white folks the other day



here endeth with a chord on the guitar that’s how the men did Jesus like he was



old like he was young just like Elvis did to Big Dad Arthur I know



just like another blind singer the men come down to see with their equipment



they get his song they pay him twenty dollars and he don’t hear from them ever



again except sometimes in the mail on Christmas when one of them might send a



five dollar check there won’t nobody cash oh tell me brother how do the old men



feel who were young as purple flowers from Hawaii once when they listen to their



songs coming in over a borrowed radio tell me don’t they take up a notch in they belt



don't they tie another knot in they headband don't they wring that sweat out



have mercy Jesus deliver me from the lawyers and the teachers and the preachers



and the politicking flies can’t you hear them buzz can’t you hear them bite another



chunk out of me oh brother I am death and you are sleep I am white and you are



black brother tell me I am that which I am I am sleep and you are death we are



one person getting up and going outside naked as a blue jay rolling our bellies



at the moon oh brother tell me you love me and I’ll tell you too I want to know



how do they like it when the ones who sung shake they leg on the Television



I want to know Jesus don’t a blind man count no more some by signs others by



whispers some with a kiss and some with a gun and some with a six bit fountain



pen whoa lord help me and my brother help us get through this tookover land





