THE LAMB OF GOD

1. We buried our tambourines into the earth and filled our mouths with ash. After that we only spoke in anvils. Our garden was filled with half-submerged steel rising from the dark soft soil. We decided to knit a giant quilt to cover the mass grave. We would not speak or sing or say anything. We would only fasten the quilt onto the earth. We would drive stakes through the fabric. We began to dig but our holes only filled up with blood.

2. The Lord had granted us victory and we moved up from the grass and foam dancing. We broke with flute and sacrifice. We made the wreath to present before the Lord; dancing and vines pulled through our hair, strings tied around our wrists. But the wrath of the Lord burned toward us and toward our sacrifice for it was not worthy. And the earth moaned and opened wide to swallow our drums.

3. Abraham pulled up from the rocks the water on which we stand. There were flaming swords keeping us from the garden and the serpents came to strike our heels. We said to Abraham, You must make us suffer. You must make us pay. After 40 days and 40 nights a dove came and spoke to us of dreams and asteroids. We were baptized by a flood and when we came up from the ground, our beards were laced with stones.

5. When I saw the limp swan falling through the sky I remembered the beautiful young woman at the oasis who stayed up all night at the water's edge. I remembered how all the neon passed behind her face and behind her neck. I remembered how we all waited hungry for morning and churning with dirt.