Used Car Christ
Christ came down
from the Poconos to Paterson
where the dry visages
wept tears of gasoline,
Christ came down
from Patterson to Passaic
where they stripped his wheels
and burned the rubber
Christ came down
from Passiac to Rahway
where they knotted his smoke
in denim nostrils,
Christ came down
from Rahway to Lindenhurst
where they found him for sale
$899, today only,
Christ came down
from Lindenhurst to Edison
where they filled him with rags
and saved their daughters,
Christ came down
from Edison to Eatontown,
Nazi memorabilia
dead in October,
Christ came down,
down on the highway,
till the highway got dark
and he disappeared:
Gas Jesus, '55 Chevy
Toms River junkyard, deadend moonlight
pitted chrome, lux aeterna,
asphyxia home, Sunday's coming.copyright © 1998 Gordon Fitch