VIRUS

The infection must have begun

to manifest when I was only three.

Standing on the foot of my bed

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God

with all thy heart, with all thy soul,

and with all thy mind."

Mom smiled and stuck a gold star

next to the blue, red and green ones

on the hand-made chart she had

taped to the wall. That was the first

I remember earning and the last,

but it was already too late

I was terminal.

Maybe it’s genetic.

My Marine Corps father had trampled

some grapes of wrath on Iwo Jima,

a blond god at six-two he spent thirty

plus days in hell bringing salvation with

a carbine and telephone wire before he

took ill from something Mama said.

He probably would have even graduated

Bible College if he hadn’t made a little

more vintage on the chin of that self-righteous

dean of men and run off to marry my

elfin angel mom.

It must be genetic, both their parents had the

disease, pastoring holy-roller churches for years,

spread the word,

spread the disease,

they thought.

Dad had grown up fighting the poison

every way he knew, alcohol, tobacco, women,

and his fists to no avail. He lost the battle before

he even knew it was on.

So he too spread the word

spread the disease.

What chance did I have

standing in his bright shadow?

"For God so loved the world that

He gave his only begotten Son"

to infect us all despite the

vaccinations of

Baptists,

Catholics,

Presbyterians,

Pentecostals,

and the rest

who have forgotten

that the yoke of this disease

is easy, and the burden is light:

Love God,

Love your neighbor,

and that’s all,

a sweet virus.

I’m terminal.

Reviews

[emmajoygreen]

We need all the friends we can trust and the best is there if we want Him or perhaps another gentle faith in which to place our hope. If you have doubts, one needs to have that 'inexplicable' feeling. Vol. your words offer your experience over time and.. display your contenment.

[Dessi]

@Vol, I haven't been on this account in awhile.
You & I were having such a good time...You being "alive" and all.
Truly, you know you mean the world to me.
Yes, I'm Glenda.
Smooches.

[Dessi]

WHY ARE THEY POKINGFUN AT THE NAME and POPULATION??!!!! PEOPLE ARE IN DANGER THERE!!!!!!

[Dessi]

Wild Fire Reporter‬ ‪@wildfirereports.bsky.social‬
·
1d
#RestAreaFire goes international! The I-40/Old Rt. 66 wild fire east of Amarillo made news in UK's "Daily Mail" as the paper blared "entire town evac'd." Um...right. Alanreed, TX, has a pop. of maybe 16-20 & was once named "Gouge Eye". Calling it a town is a sensationalist stretch. #wildfire

[Vol]

We are a haunted Texas Ghost Town!

[Dessi]

I'm missing you so bad. In every area of my being.
OmGosh! You are an addiction! Just Hugs til later ;)

[Lorry]

I revlckon you're right Vol. It is genetic. My dad was sick of us moaning on the way to church one morning about how early it was and he just looked at us and said "do you not want to go?" We all replied no and he just shrugged his shoulders and walked back home, leaving us on pause like he had a hidden remote control!
We didn't know what to do. Did we go on, thinking he was testing our faith or go back home, change out of uncomfortable growed up clothes and into our football strip's.
I think I recall beating my big brother 38 goals to 32 that day and every other Sunday until I became a teenager and realised I could lie in bed in a semi-professional basis that I still pray and give thanks to every Sunday! 😃
Who'da thunk it that my Dad didn't like giving up his only day off in the entire week either?
😃

[Arundass TP]

Nicely written poem. Enjoyed reading.

[John the Baptist]

I had the virus, too, until I started reading writers like Bart Ehrman. If the Garden of Eden story is mythical, what is it JC is supposed to save us from?

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[redd Brick Keshner]

The is an exquisite mindedness and eloquent articulativeness bringing this poem forward on varying levels with the same intensity and momentum! 🙏🏻🕊