Jesus returns to Earth in his space soot
lands near a vineyard swarming with on-scene
reporters and a poet drinking wine
with a comely girl like in an old dream.
Bright lights big city and the poet cuts
out pieces of his heart installs plumbing
pipes in and out his body for his loves
to and fro rich and poor pub and nightclub.
Paparazzi poets loiter about
and caricatures party at a news
conference where Jesus is forgotten
dawn the city emerges beautiful.
From a cathedral altar the poet
lectures on gypsy jazz guitar grammar
and Jimmy Smith plays the Hammond B-3
while nine nuns discuss floral arrangements.
Visions of the Madonna go viral
but she disappears into a crazed crowd
crying out for miracles and passing
deep probes by the church and city fathers.
The poet visits a custom made home
paid for from funds of the company store
views of the city lights from the dark hills
and children run and play games safely.
The poet paints through the day en plein air
ocean views from the El Porto sand dunes
while Lily waits tables at House of Pies
with Marcella both flirting with the cooks.
Lily’s father visits dropped by a cab
and teaches the poet how to handle
a steering wheel on the San Diego
freeway to Long Beach everyone silent.
Lost feelings of forlorn hope and lovelorn
forgetfulness as the poet cruises
up Highway 1 past Malibu beaches
away from the ruins of the city.
An explosion rocks the morning beach town
an El Segundo Blue butterfly lifts
away from its warm studio setting
eriogonum parvifolium.
Endangered by human cravings the poet
absconds but returns sometime later
to a marketing and sales derived party
fueled by money libido and ego.
In the morning the poet washes up
on the beach caught up in sad fisher nets
Lily from the Strand smiles falling waves crash
the poet untangles and follows her.
The Coming of the Toads 