This Poem has at its background, a set of images created by the photographer Andres Serrano.  The particular photographic image that feeds this poem depicted a crucifix in a glass of the artist’s urine.

The stuff that shocks the Bourgeoisies

fails to register with me,

Though it isn’t that I am made of jade

but rather that I’m knit

from dry woolen mitts, old carpet bits,

powdered-lighting rod and TNT …

So ..

Before you hint at something crass,

Wave your hand before the grass

and tell me that He knows

each blade.

Or

Hold a bag

of empty sky,

If you’re cruel, you’ll whisper:

“Is the air within your lungs alive?”

Oh Dear …

This shocking ever present now

is more than I can take:

Just tell me that the world is real,

and I go reeling, stealing, feeling

into bedazzled whelm.

Ha!

But you can see I’m joking.

I do have ordinary sense

and know the shock that comes

With this, our modern age,

twined vulgarity and rage that makes

the daily waves.

So, Do you want to shock me ..

I’ll go for that photo

of a tortured Jesus

in a bag of pee …

Lets see …

There are those shocking kidneys

straining poison from the blood

in an ever going miracle where

excess minerals and crud, escape

into the miracle of saving urine!

Then, there is that statue

with the little copper quills, in his little copper wrists --

What kind of man would sculpt this thing,

or better yet, What kind of MIND

would leave a trail of bloody surreal memos? --

A testimony to a 3-D God, stapled on a tree

and littering the ages

with the thought

that God knows pain.

Just the same… there is that fact of placement,

Mr.  Serrano.and friends,

Your knack for shock is trifle lame.

Try a crucifix in semen or in puss*,

or better, stab the thing in us

And still – you wouldn’t touch thy tyranny

of what

Jesus does each day ….

wading through the garbage of our lives.

Next time, if you want to rate

place him in a bag of hate,

or shame, or stale erotic lust …

or

Pride, more obscene than dreams

or …

For your chilling nod to Hell,

place him in a bag

of “I don’t care”

But I don’t think

you

or the world

are ready for that.

*While I wouldn’t recommend placing crucifixes in much of anything, it would be hard to find two materials of greater glory: one the conduit of life, the other – evidence of healing.