How Much Do You Do For Money, Power, Prestige, Or 'the Look? ' Poem by Chuy Amante

What do you do
day in and day out
that adds a coin
to your hoard, or,
fattens up your clout?

I've heard told that
the 'gifts' of god
are given freely,
and re-given
over and
over
'GIVEN'

Gifts! ! ! ! Not commodities
not fungible proxies for
the real deal

what is the source of giving?
what does it do, what
does it get?
Rewarding or rewarded?

what did Jesus charge
for the bread? Fish?
good chat, free symposiums?
How much? For the sea-view picnic?
the new eye sight
a few new body parts,
that coat of his,
his effort?


I bet his dad, the father
of the son of man guy,
fired him from the
family furniture and
home repair business
because he just couldn't
take hurting people's money.
...
and then the pies,
chickens, eggs, oils, goat's milk
and knitted clothing
stopped coming

dad became a richer man,
until the thieves cleaned
out that pile of gold,
moths ate holes and rust
corrupted much of the stash

jesus ate amazing tacos and pie,
fit for Kings
lived by the sea,
was a great vinter,
had lots of friends
and pissed off a few
of the local religionists,
and managed to rock
the political structure
and spurned those banker types
and did a quick slip of
a change in local gods
and brought in that groovy
love thing.
The first hippies,
the dude with the long hair
and those 12 musicians
and the girls that followed them.
It often smelled like pachoulie oil
and wine
they seemed to live for the NOW
and not fear for the morrow
they were dressed like flower
children, you could say Lilies
of the Field
a loving community.
They scared folks
in a baaaaaad way