Not once, not twice

he gave me his card and called himself DR. RAY
he wanted a discount on his wine
and for the bartender to make his woman

(HIS WORDS)

a key lime gin rickey
and serve her

a serious
but not too heavy Cabernet

it made me feel real but off-center

        

she tied my right hand to the rented bed

before she bit me and made me bleed

Sunday to Tuesday was defined by teeth

she used me as a rock

to rub her rope against

I remember saying please

then 

her husband asking me to explain

she said
that neither of us was noble 

but only she was insane

he came back later

drenched and wanting to pay his tab

he said 
he needed to pray for patience 
and it seemed
like violence
was trickling down his spine

Gospel compilation

she was Dutch
which I took to mean
a few things

and she wondered why God
was everywhere in the South

a Church every few blocks
people ask about your beliefs

in the 21st century
still thinking we should all be tied to the teat
of JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, SUPERSTAR, ESQUIRE, ETC.

Fuck
does anyone know why?

Fear of the other and the need for
simple defining of each other and all that
SHIT?

You tell me, outsider.

I'm from here 
and I still say
'God bless 'em' 

and have other
Judeo-Christian ballast
for my thinking.

I still struggle with the snake
before I sleep.

There's still a bit part of me that thinks
those without any God
are wrong and weak and not trustworthy...

Help me think out of this
please.

Jesus shines and he makes me blink.