LGBTQ+ Poem: SALVATION, by Ben Shaughnessy

I walked in the desert for 40 years
Or maybe I didn’t
Maybe I walked into bars for 40 years
Maybe it just felt like a desert
The grit underneath my feet,
A poor man’s sand
Of ash and dirt and broken glass.

I listened to Christ on the Mount of Olives
Or maybe I didn’t
Maybe I listened to a susurration of desperation
Maybe it just sounded like a sermon
The cacophony of conversation
A poor man’s benediction
Of hope and fear and broken hearts.

I nailed Christ to the cross
Or maybe I didn’t
Maybe I nailed a guy with a cross on his chest
Who promised to be my salvation.
The desperate fucking
A poor man’s prayer
Of sweat and shame and broken dreams.

I was bound to hell
Or maybe I wasn’t
Maybe I was bound by grief and regret
Maybe I found my salvation
Not in his body
But in the mirror of myself
In his eyes,
And his warm lips
Kissing away my tears.

Author: poetryfest

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