Ampersand. D. S. Martin

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СКАЧАТЬ than where you’re from

      from the wrong side of the tracks the under side

      of a stone? Philip knew you well enough

      to find you studying alone under your fig tree

      knew well enough you weren’t mocking prophets

      or balking at his mind so answered

      your wonder Come & see

      I get you Bartholomew No one could fool

      you No naked emperors could pull

      invisible wool over your eyes & so it’s all the better

      that you were there to watch angels

      up & down Jacob’s ladder that you saw

      the Christ ascending to the skies

      III — Philip of Bethsaida

      When my friend questioned me about Jesus

      I’d said Come & see but now realize

      that eyes open gradually

      that I’d had to start with cloudy shapes

      of men like trees walking like

      that man from my hometown peering

      through the spittle

      When the Greeks said We want to see Jesus

      I grabbed Andrew fearing my brittle

      thread of insight would snap

      before knowing what to do for when

      the Master had asked me about buying

      the crowd bread my faith was too little

      to say

      When we reclined at the table with Jesus

      he began to wash our feet Peter couldn’t

      see why he’d bother Thomas tripped

      on knowing the way & I asked him to show

      us the Father His responses were kind

      even though on the eve of his sorrows

      we were still so blind

      IV — Andrew Son of Jonah

      He’d always been my level-headed son

      & so I let him wander the wilderness

      after his bruised-reed prophet

      since he’d always return to mend the nets

      & chase another catch I’d thought

      Simon was the impetuous one

      but Andrew was as steady as a boat on sand

      When the Baptiser admitted he wasn’t the man

      he pointed out the Lamb of God

      & Andrew was caught

      He followed & brought Simon

      & some other local boys along too

      What was I supposed to do?

      I only had a fishing life

      & he had much more to offer than I’d got

      I only wish it had been when I was young

      that Messiah came not leaving me to fish

      & grow old with the same ache in my bones

      my two sons following the unknown

      leaving me with naught

      V — A Fisherman Called James

      The expanse above peers into the depths

      Here fishermen reap as though they’re netting

      featherless birds from the blue hills

      where cumulus sheep casually drift

      Land sky & sea all merge in Galilee

      They fish for musht grip heavy nets

      which shimmer & rip into their hands

      drip into water & into their cedar boat

      The sons of Zebedee float across the face of the deep

      lift sails high dip oars into the inverted sky

      James & his brother grew up on this shore

      familiar with the way squalls rip

      over the hills whip up mountainous waves

      & how the sea behaves

      He knew how bad this storm was

      darkness churning above & below

      surges tossing them as he Peter Andrew

      & John pulled at the tiny ship’s oars like slaves

      fearing the spill of water over the gunwale

      & so he was all the more startled

      when all ceased at his Lord’s Peace be still

      & yet on a similar night crossing after he got

      over the shock was more able to accept

      Christ’s walk across those shiny waves

      Often while his ears listened to his Master talk

      to the crowds his eyes would sail

      over the Judean hills that appeared to undulate

      like Galilee bearing boat-shaped clouds For years

      he’d watched bright seabirds easily float

      on a breeze that seemed as constant as water

      as solid as earth & so again he was better prepared

      when Jesus rose into the sky & disappeared from sight

      VI — James the Less

      In СКАЧАТЬ