Thursday, March 5, 2009

Jesus, Larry

Jesus Jones and Larry Lee
lit out one night
from Kankakee
ridin’ hard and
ridin’ fast
like a gunshot
from their past

Larry drove while Jesus wept
and Jesus paced
while Larry slept
on the lam and
second guessin’
smokin’ like
that Smith & Wesson

Jesus Jones and Larry Lee
got tattooed
in Kissimmee;
Jesus with
the dry Euphrates
Larry with
some naked ladies

Larry took his bourbon straight
his bacon crisp
his chance with fate;
Jesus took
his bread with trout
the laundry in
the garbage out

Jesus Jones and Larry Lee
met her outside
Oconee
table dancin’
at some bar
sniffin’ crystal
in her car

Larry made a couple deals
kept ‘em higher
than her heels
but that all went
to hell one day
and Jesus washed
the blood away

Jesus Jones and Larry Lee
laid low in
Montgomery
silent as
a hangman’s guilt
or bones beneath
the harbor silt

Larry’d had a couple larks
a while back
a guy in Sparks;
Jesus drew
the motel shade,
signed the bible
for the maid

Jesus Jones and Larry Lee
rode until they
hit Shawnee;
Larry felt
a load was liftin’
Jesus felt
his sway was shiftin’

Larry lost his Shovelhead
with a bet
on seven red;
Jesus won
the Harley back
with a run of
bets on black

Jesus Jones and Larry Lee
split up near
Tehachapi;
a coffee shop
a black and white
a parking lot
a firefight

That ended quick as it began -
Jesus knelt
and Larry ran -
Larry caught two
in the chest
(Jesus rose
and headed west)

[if you voted last week - thank you!]

10 comments:

K.Lawson Gilbert said...

Oh, I am so glad I voted for this one! This was better than a movie!

Love this -
Jesus drew
the motel shade,
signed the bible
for the maid

PRICELESS!

Also, love your Poe decor and the message it states.

Fantastic, as always, Joaquin!

Karen said...

Yay! I voted for this and am I glad!!

You have a voice all your own --a rollicking rhythm that I love. Reading you is almost like listening to jazz.

The Jesus wept line really tickled me. Love, love, love it.

You're the first thing I check on Thursdays.

Anonymous said...

just great!... as always.
:)

ps
the line with Jesus signing the bible is in deed priceless!

waiting for next thursday.
u be on time ;)

Anonymous said...

I'm loving this one while I laugh! Joaquin, your poems blow me out of my seat. No, I take that back. Your poems blow me through the roof! I say hell yeah to what everybody else has already said.

I love the rhythm. I love the twists and the turns of the story. I love the playfulness. I love Jesus. Another awesome poem.

P.S. - You're not going to believe this. The word verification I have to type to leave a comment is "moses." I know he was Old Testament, but that's wild.

Anonymous said...

Very well done, it does remind me of the west - and loving the west as its history it hits home.

Moanerplicity said...

This was so well-drawn, well rhymed, well described that it could inspire someone to write a short story, or perhaps even a screenplay about these characters you've created. Maybe that someone should be you!

One.

maaga..... said...

this was just a beautifully written, rhymed, visual journey....

trooping with crows said...

How on earth do you do this?

I want to put music to this and play it on my guitar!
Brilliant.

Moanerplicity said...

Hey, where are you? Hope all is chill in Lyric-ville.

I just tagged you. It's nothing too painstaking. See my blog for details.

Peace.

SJ!

One.

Lin

joaquin carvel said...

k - cheaper, too. thanks for your kind words, and glad you liked the little eddie p. knicknack.

karen - thank you - that is an incredibly reassuring comment about my voice (coming from one who is quite handy with a rhyme)

last unicorn - thank you. and like nas says, "never on schedule but always on time" :)

julie - thank you. few poets can craft characters as well as you, so your comment is deeply appreciated. (moses, huh? - may be a sign - a calling for a companion poem?)

soulintention - good to hear from you. thanks for dropping by - glad you enjoyed it.

moanerplicity - that's not a bad idea. your support means a lot to me.

maaga - thank you - always glad when you drop in.

trooping - not sure - afraid i'd jinx it if i tried to figure it out. but if you put it to music, i'd love to hear it.