;
Value of Salvation
I watch as the preacher
stands in the pool of water
and the procession of people
wade in to save their souls.
He begins his speech about the glory
of God and how brother so-and-so
and sister what’s-her-name come
now to accept the Holy Spirit.
He finally dunks them one
by one till all of them are finished
and they march out of the pool.
Sometimes I wonder if I will
ever go in that pool. I know
I could do it and people would clap
and tell me congratulations and lay
their hands on me.
I could do it if I wanted to.
;
;
On the Shore
“O Sinners let’s go down, let’s go down, come on down. O sinners
let’s go down, down in the river to pray.”-Alison Krauss
There have been things
I have done in my life
that I’m not particularly
proud of. The time I stole
my mom’s car to go have sex
with my girlfriend late one
night, the time I broke Michael’s
favorite cd on purpose because
he pissed me off, the time I punched
my friend Allison in the face
because the alcohol had taken
over, the time I smoked weed
at the church camp I worked
at, the time I slept with a girl
even though I knew
she had a boyfriend, the time
I saw somebody at the grocery
store drop forty dollars
and I picked it up without telling
them. I went to church last Sunday
and the preacher said “All who
confess their sins will be saved.”
I suppose that one day sooner
or later I will find out if that’s true.
;
Joshua Lyons graduated with a BA in English from Stephen F. Austin State University and is currently working on his MA in English. He plans to continue pursuing his education and to continue writing poetry and children’s stories.
Love these, Josh. I’d like to know how you decided where to start a new stanza–especially in the first one before “ever go in that pool.” I’m intrigued.