survivor

perhaps you have met him
the ragged wanderer of deserts
half-mad or at least incoherent
with his story of sharing
the last meal of a god
or a god's son
whatever that distinction is
and then doing nothing
though anyone sane might ask
what he might have
against the drawn swords of an empire
or the ruler of a puppet court
pulled out of bed to judge
a trial put on to reach
a judgement already prescribed
that the god's son be whipped
impressed with thorns
and nailed to a cross
then hung in the desert air to die
while strangers mocked and taunted
and followers agonized
over courage, despair, or conformity
but lived to see whether the son
would really resurrect
but this one
staggered down the hill
wandered into the desert
ashamed to pray
not daring not to
and wandered to see
Buddha fight his battles
beneath the bodhi tree
China invade Japan
Martel's son
forge a new empire
and trembled to watch
a tower blaze god's wrath
onto a New Mexican desert
which drove him here, he says
the city of the angels
surely here if anywhere
he will hear mercy from the god
but while he's waiting
can you spare a dollar?