Christ
Reborn
An atheist named Christian
Who speaks with his art
And counts floor tiles
Mary
Both virgin and whore
Mother and lover
Has escaped to college
Still shadowed by her past
Jude
Unholy priest
Committing unredeemable sins
And the avenging Apostles
Christ left them
But they're back
All on a football team
All in a city
Some in a school
Drawn by a magnetic church
Book of Mary
Forgive me Father
For I have sinned
I have looked after a man of God
With desire
Say twenty Hail Mary's my child
Yes Father
Praying
Kneeling on the cold stone floor
But thoughts turn to the past
To the child she gave away
For she was not ready
She pleads
I was only fourteen
Remembering her boy
Black hair
Blue eyes
Long fingered hands
Wave goodbye out the hospital door
Book of Christian
Blue eyes surrounded
By black bangs
Delicate long fingers
Trace and smudge
Lines of a woman's face
He sees her all the time
He believes he loves her
He at least wants her
Neither knows the truth
Not yet
She must be over twenty
But she looks eighteen
She comes to this church to pray
He comes to sketch
Sometimes the gargoyles
Sometimes the demons
Never the crucifix
With its glassy staring eyes
Lank tangled hair
Blood running down
Emaciated skin
Sometimes the woman
Someday he'll talk to her
Someday
Book of Jude
He doesn't know who he is
He doesn't even know what he wants to be
He loves Jesus Christ
And he serves God
That should be enough
But somehow it isn't
It seems sinful to want more
But he wants to see God's house
Robed in the golden splendor
And filled with faces
But that needs money
To feed and clothe the poor
And bring them here
This is a rich place
There should be more
But there isn't
Somehow he'll get it
God will send it
Book of Christian
Persecution
It's all around us
It's defeating our purpose
Eating away our country from the inside
Corruption
A rotten canker devouring our morals
Why do we need to put
God before us
Can't we concentrate
On what's here and now
Don't forget the past
But stop living in it
Please listen to me
I have the truth
It's sitting right here
What the hell are you talking about
Blasphemer
Asshole
If you don't stop talking like this
We might have to do something about you
Son
You're spreading discontent
Inflammatory dogma is not encouraged here
It's the truth
No it's not
Are you God to tell me
What's right and what's wrong
Just stop preaching like this
Or next time you'll be punished
Don't leave
You don't understand
But we understand
You better shut yourself up
Or we'll shut you up
Push
Thud
Sickening crack
Bloody nose
Black eye
Have you been fighting
Not really
It was one-sided
I bet Jesus didn't go through this
Except the whole crucifixion thing
Book of Jude
There's that boy again
Never prays
Never here for services
Never gives money
Son have you ever thought of contributing
To restore this fair church
I haven't noticed
It was falling down
You draw it
Can't you help restore it
I don't know
I'm not a religious person
We could always use it
To help the poor
I'll think about it
Just give me your address
And I'll send you information about charities
I guess it couldn't hurt
123 Matthew Street
It goes into his book
He has a little black book
With all the addresses
Of those in the church
And those who come into the church
Just in case
You never know when it could come in handy
Reborn
An atheist named Christian
Who speaks with his art
And counts floor tiles
Mary
Both virgin and whore
Mother and lover
Has escaped to college
Still shadowed by her past
Jude
Unholy priest
Committing unredeemable sins
And the avenging Apostles
Christ left them
But they're back
All on a football team
All in a city
Some in a school
Drawn by a magnetic church
Book of Mary
Forgive me Father
For I have sinned
I have looked after a man of God
With desire
Say twenty Hail Mary's my child
Yes Father
Praying
Kneeling on the cold stone floor
But thoughts turn to the past
To the child she gave away
For she was not ready
She pleads
I was only fourteen
Remembering her boy
Black hair
Blue eyes
Long fingered hands
Wave goodbye out the hospital door
Book of Christian
Blue eyes surrounded
By black bangs
Delicate long fingers
Trace and smudge
Lines of a woman's face
He sees her all the time
He believes he loves her
He at least wants her
Neither knows the truth
Not yet
She must be over twenty
But she looks eighteen
She comes to this church to pray
He comes to sketch
Sometimes the gargoyles
Sometimes the demons
Never the crucifix
With its glassy staring eyes
Lank tangled hair
Blood running down
Emaciated skin
Sometimes the woman
Someday he'll talk to her
Someday
Book of Jude
He doesn't know who he is
He doesn't even know what he wants to be
He loves Jesus Christ
And he serves God
That should be enough
But somehow it isn't
It seems sinful to want more
But he wants to see God's house
Robed in the golden splendor
And filled with faces
But that needs money
To feed and clothe the poor
And bring them here
This is a rich place
There should be more
But there isn't
Somehow he'll get it
God will send it
Book of Christian
Persecution
It's all around us
It's defeating our purpose
Eating away our country from the inside
Corruption
A rotten canker devouring our morals
Why do we need to put
God before us
Can't we concentrate
On what's here and now
Don't forget the past
But stop living in it
Please listen to me
I have the truth
It's sitting right here
What the hell are you talking about
Blasphemer
Asshole
If you don't stop talking like this
We might have to do something about you
Son
You're spreading discontent
Inflammatory dogma is not encouraged here
It's the truth
No it's not
Are you God to tell me
What's right and what's wrong
Just stop preaching like this
Or next time you'll be punished
Don't leave
You don't understand
But we understand
You better shut yourself up
Or we'll shut you up
Push
Thud
Sickening crack
Bloody nose
Black eye
Have you been fighting
Not really
It was one-sided
I bet Jesus didn't go through this
Except the whole crucifixion thing
Book of Jude
There's that boy again
Never prays
Never here for services
Never gives money
Son have you ever thought of contributing
To restore this fair church
I haven't noticed
It was falling down
You draw it
Can't you help restore it
I don't know
I'm not a religious person
We could always use it
To help the poor
I'll think about it
Just give me your address
And I'll send you information about charities
I guess it couldn't hurt
123 Matthew Street
It goes into his book
He has a little black book
With all the addresses
Of those in the church
And those who come into the church
Just in case
You never know when it could come in handy