Two Survivors

Two Survivors

Today!

As I took to walk,

I met two survivors of life’s troubles

Both breathing on God’s providence.

The providence of food, drink and cloth

To one, he thrust heaps of salads,

Grilled chicken, sandwiches,

Spaghetti, cheese and soy sauce

Showering litres of wine that

Shines in a glittering glass

Hosted in a jewelry-walled

Tower of Babel.

To the other, God cast

Rubbish heaps for dinner

The Menu packed with

Mountainous dishes

Of rotten tomatoes,

Of aged moldy rice

Of weevil-swarmed sacks of rotting beans

Of moth-coated pieces of bread.

The mercies of garbage stench

Serviced him a heavenly fresh breath.

Unfortunate for the first survivor

Was the burden of heavy cloth

And the bulk of flesh:

A vest covered with white shirt

White shirt with waist coat

Waistcoat with black jacket

A black rope rounded the neck

Tightening together the bulging lot of garments,

They say it’s a neck-tie.

To hold the balloon-belly from dropping,

A network of other ropes

Called ‘suspenders’ did more binding.

Another rope, named belt,

Noosed the waist to restrain

These tons of cotton and silk.

The lump sum and wearing significance

Of flesh and fat:

Swollen cheeks, immense belly

 And a bulged chest.

The other beneficially of grace

And mercy was less weighted:

Free and nude with

 Tattered pants to save

The beautiful eyes from the two bags of soil and a hoe from shame,

Dangling between his legs.

The goodness of

A pale dry peeling skin.

The health of a fleshless skeleton

Dead long before it was begotten.

Nevertheless,

God loved both survivors!

The slave of cloth and flesh;

The nude skinny free-man.

Both sung one song to heaven

The latter singing even louder

The former – disadvantaged with

Heavy cloth and endless flesh –

Hummed and murmur the psalms.