A prayer of joy and of lamentation from the middle of the Oak St Bus
The old man boarded the bus and greeted
His two friends
Hello there, hello there!
Hey. Hey. Howya?
How are you doin’?
Just fine. I just had me some lunch.
Yes?
I had myself some fried up chicken.
Fried up chicken?
Yes sir, some fried up chicken.
All right, some fried up chicken.
Yes, yes. I had me some mashed potatoes…
Yes?
And some fried UP chicken.
All right.
I had me some greens…
Yes?
And some fine, fine fried up chicken, oh my I did…
And on and on the prayer rolled between the three friends
like a sweet glazed doughnut.
Then:
Lookit there. James Ramsey St.
James R Ramsey St.
University President James R Ramsey St.
Yessir.
...
University of Louisville President James DAM Ramsey St.
mm-mmm.
Makes a million dollars a year and gets a street named after him!
James R god. dam. Ramsey St.
Lord…
And on and on the prayer rolled
Like a rusty wheel
Then:
It’s a shame about Leon
It’s a dammed shame.
Yessir.
Never bothered no one.
He never bothered NO one.
He NEVER bothered no one at all. And they went and killed him.
It’s a shame.
Yessir, it is. It’s a dammed shame.
Just doing his job…
Just doin' his dammed job…
Never bothering no one…
Never bother not a dammed person
And they went and killed him dead.
mm-mmm
...
It’s the kids, ya know?
Yes, it is. It’s the kids.
They got no respect.
No sir.
It’s a shame.
It’s a goddammed shame
And on and on the prayer rolled
Round and round
Like the moon passing through a dark night sky.
======
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans.
Romans 8:26-27, The Message
2 comments:
Oh, Dan, Cindy here! That was BEAUTIFUL!
Thanks, Cindy.
Of course, I didn't write it, or anything - just recalled what others had said. Mostly.
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