Monday, September 11, 2017

"Jefferson Turnip: The Turnip Walked" by Ross Balcom


Jefferson Turnip: The Turnip Walked
Ross Balcom

1.
shadow found the Turnip
oh, he died

death nourished him
sent him forth

the Turnip walked
I do not lie

2.
his face
blank acreage

where shadows 
grew

and you could lose 
yourself

in that face 
blank acreage

that looked
through you

3.
in the moonlight
did he feed you?

of his pale, cold flesh
did he feed you?

of his love, his memories
did he feed you?

tell me, tell me
he did feed you

yes, the Turnip
he did feed me

4.
love
with no death

can be stricken
Turnip

our human love
will quicken

dead boy
our hearts have taken

to a place...
unforsaken

5.
oh, he walked
the country miles

he walked
feeding us

freeing us
the friends

the strangers
freeing us

feeding us
he walked

I say again
the Turnip walked

6.
the pale legions
follow him

the blessed
those of the new flesh

the Turnip's people
the blessed

down the moonlit
country roads

the blessed
and I am of them

the blessed 
the blessed

7.
and all roads lead
to the dead boy's eyes

the dead boy's arms
the dead boy's heart

and all roads lead
to the dead boy's love

the dead boy's flesh
a brand new start

8.
the food eternal
Turnip has given

the new flesh
Turnip has given

release from old ways
Turnip has given

Turniphood
Turnip has given

9.
by the dead boy
unforsaken

we the higher road
have taken

Turnips all--
the world we'll feed

makers of
a pale, cold breed

10.
Jefferson Turnip
boy unbound...

death nourished him
sent him forth

the Turnip walked
I do not lie

he fed his people
the old world died

Poet's Notes: This poem is a sequel to "Jefferson Turnip," a poem of mine previously published in Songs of Eretz Poetry Review http://www.songsoferetz.com/2015/04/poem-of-day-jefferson-turnip-by-ross.html. In this poem, dead boy Jefferson Turnip returns to transform the world with some parallels to the Christ story. What else can I say? I hope y'all like turnips. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.