“Universal David” © Richard Paul Davis

 

Highway Revival

We were out the door by 6AM,
out from VA Beach on
Sunday morning, September 25th—
dad’s church was housed in
some baptist temple
in New Canton,

and we were due for a three-hour
drive cramped inside grandma’s
borrowed Chevy Trailblazer.

Upon hitting Military Hwy. I absorbed all
these nighttime streetlights dancing across the hood—

Illuminated storefronts with the bonus spectacle
of nearby used car lots;
big tent revivals proselytize the gospel according to
unchecked capitalism(guide my hands by the
good news of the almighty dollar bill).

Glory be!

Gas prices are through the roof
but we should still be good, so long as dear mom
keeps time inside the parameters of
the universal mental death trap haze—

our risk runs a little crazy between
dotted lines and so much fresh pavement;

but it’s so nice and quiet this early on.

All I know is I’m too far gone from being jerked awake
to get any reading done, and so I sit in the
back and begin to nod off while dad practices the words of
scripture for the day’s sermon—In the world you will
have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome
the world.

That was from the book of John, and I still
don’t know what he was on about;
outside it’s just getting light out, and the storefront properties

we pass by begin to shift focus on other miracles
in exchange for their idol the almighty dollar.

Yes, Lord, save me from myself.

 

James Lawson Moore is a poet and writer from Virginia. Born and raised in Chesterfield, he studied English literature at Regent University and currently lives in Virginia Beach. He likes to spend his time reading horror novels, watching bad movies, and tending to his fiancee’s three cats.

Richard Paul Davis is a poet & writer from Crystal Lake, Illinois , USA. He has worked in market research & non-traditional interfaith ministries.