deepundergroundpoetry.com
YMCA Holy Man
YMCA Holy Man
His TV blares resurrection blues
With phantoms of the YMCA opera
Words born of my naïveté:
“The suburbs are for the middle class.”
His removal of my anesthesia:
“Everything is for them.
You are doing some thinking on this old world.”
In his face the ghost of Frederick Douglas
An exorcist of cloudy propaganda
“Where would you want to be other than here?”
“In the mountains.”
On a morning like the last judgment
“Don’t you feel pleasure from anything?
Surely your bare feet on the floor.”
“If I were in heaven I’d be happy.”
“Some people wouldn’t be happy in heaven.”
In his wake Harriet Tubman follows
Restless to liberate another soul
His TV blares resurrection blues
With phantoms of the YMCA opera
Words born of my naïveté:
“The suburbs are for the middle class.”
His removal of my anesthesia:
“Everything is for them.
You are doing some thinking on this old world.”
In his face the ghost of Frederick Douglas
An exorcist of cloudy propaganda
“Where would you want to be other than here?”
“In the mountains.”
On a morning like the last judgment
“Don’t you feel pleasure from anything?
Surely your bare feet on the floor.”
“If I were in heaven I’d be happy.”
“Some people wouldn’t be happy in heaven.”
In his wake Harriet Tubman follows
Restless to liberate another soul
Published 23rd Sep 2021
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23rd Sep 2021 4:29pm
I feel like this is the poetic equivalent of a snapshot.... A moment caught in time of this particular person and his story told, within that moment.
...
Such incredible imagery and creative concept, John... You're a master at coloring a scene in one's mind!!
I could picture him, completely!
Great read, my lovely poet 🙏🏻
🌹 - 💙
Susan
x
...
Such incredible imagery and creative concept, John... You're a master at coloring a scene in one's mind!!
I could picture him, completely!
Great read, my lovely poet 🙏🏻
🌹 - 💙
Susan
x
23rd Sep 2021 5:07pm
Susan, my memory of him is clear as yesterday. Our conversation came about from my early socialist years. He asked me where I’d like to be and I told him the mountains. Then his momentous closing statement “Some people wouldn’t be happy in heaven.” I learned from him how to be happy in poverty. His lesson has stayed with me ever since
Xo
John
Xo
John
