one for the minotaur’s wife by John Sweet judas portrayed in faded peeling paint on the side of a barn or CHRIST IS THE ANSWER in letters 10 feet tall on the side of the hill as we drive into town take one and to hell with the other live quietly on the edge of autumn with a man who drowned his infant daughter 30 years ago sit in the shade of an apple tree while he nails himself to a cross made from all of the pain and misery he’s ever caused give him the truth about god if that’s the kind of person he is won’t do him any good but it never hurts to know a man with hands of clay dreaming birds in flight across a silver sky a christ-junkie nailed to the future by his balls says it only hurts if he lets it says the pain is a more compassionate god than god doesn’t expect you to get the joke and he won’t stop bleeding all over the carpet he won’t stop trying to explain the significance of his bent and broken wings has faith that a lifetime of sincere lies will eventually outshine the truth sunlight finally on the last day of summer sense of dread replaced by the need to sleep sound of small animals dying horribly in the back yard sound of laughter made by mouths filled with sharpened teeth listen man is found hanging from a length of rope in his sister’s closet or is gunned down on a sunday afternoon one or the other, no in-between, and so the next century begins to take shape the idea of joy grows jagged rusty edges child tells you you have to hang onto it tightly says everyone bleeds says don’t be such a baby wakes you up just before you can remember his name

one for the minotaur’s wife

by John Sweet

judas portrayed in faded peeling paint on
the side of a barn or CHRIST IS THE ANSWER in
letters 10 feet tall on the side of the hill as
we drive into town

take one and
to hell with the other

live quietly on the edge of autumn with a
man who drowned his infant daughter 30 years ago

sit in the shade of an apple tree while he
nails himself to a cross made from all of the
pain and misery he’s ever caused

give him the truth about god if
that’s the kind of person he is

won’t do him any good
but it never hurts to know