06-15-2016, 10:14 AM
Revision 3
Jesus seems photo-shopped
to look brighter, lighter—
so light, in fact, he floats.
It only shows one side
and that makes me wonder
if he hides his ugly side.
He's framed as a role model:
chiseled jaw, cheekbones rising up
to heaven, candlelit eyes
—Mel Gibson blue—
a pillowy gaze without desire
and looking up to his dad.
I wonder if this face could engage
or enrage empires—
its heroin stare doesn't inspire.
Maybe people look to him to see the light
show—the radiant show, the halo show,
the skin show—fair faced
and gleaming in his Hampton Whites,
in a time long before bleach.
Revision 2
Jesus seems false—photo-shopped
to look brighter, lighter;
so light, in fact, he floats.
It only shows one side
and that makes me wonder
if he hides his ugly side.
He's framed as a role model:
chiseled jaw, cheekbones rising up
to heaven—candlelit eyes,
Mel Gibson blue—
his pillowy gaze without desire
and looking up to his dad.
I wonder how he ever enraged
or engaged empires;
his heroin stare doesn't inspire.
Maybe people came to him to see the light
show—the radiant show, the halo show,
the skin show—fair faced
and gleaming in his Hampton Whites,
in a time long before bleach.
(Removed an em dash at the end of "photo-shopped" on 6/30.)
Revision 1
Jesus seems false, photo-shopped
to look brighter, lighter;
so light, in fact, he floats.
It only shows one side,
and that makes me wonder
if it's his ugly side that hides.
He's framed as a role model:
chiseled jaw, cheekbones rising up
to heaven – candlelit eyes,
Mel Gibson blue –
his pillowy gaze without desire,
and looking up to his dad
with a history of violent behavior.
I wonder how he ever enraged
or engaged empires;
his heroin stare doesn't inspire
visions of an historical force.
Maybe people came to him to see the light
show – the radiant show, the halo show,
the skin show – fair
and gleaming in his Hampton Whites,
in a time long before bleach.
Original version, titled "The Light Show"
I never cared for Jesus – I like bad boys.
And blondes. He wasn't blonde, but he looks like it in his pictures.
They always seem false, photo-shopped
to look brighter, lighter;
so light, in fact, he floats.
Some pictures only show one side,
and it makes me wonder
if it's his ugly side he hides.
People say he's a role model:
chiseled jaw, cheekbones rising up
to heaven, his gaze perfectly desireless,
and always looking up to his dad,
to his bad dad
with a history of violence.
I wonder how he ever enraged
and then engaged an empire
with insipid stares that don't inspire
visions of an historical force.
Maybe people came to him to see the light
show – the radiant show, the halo show,
the skin show – fair and gleaming in his Hampton Whites,
in a time long before bleach.
Jesus seems photo-shopped
to look brighter, lighter—
so light, in fact, he floats.
It only shows one side
and that makes me wonder
if he hides his ugly side.
He's framed as a role model:
chiseled jaw, cheekbones rising up
to heaven, candlelit eyes
—Mel Gibson blue—
a pillowy gaze without desire
and looking up to his dad.
I wonder if this face could engage
or enrage empires—
its heroin stare doesn't inspire.
Maybe people look to him to see the light
show—the radiant show, the halo show,
the skin show—fair faced
and gleaming in his Hampton Whites,
in a time long before bleach.
Revision 2
Jesus seems false—photo-shopped
to look brighter, lighter;
so light, in fact, he floats.
It only shows one side
and that makes me wonder
if he hides his ugly side.
He's framed as a role model:
chiseled jaw, cheekbones rising up
to heaven—candlelit eyes,
Mel Gibson blue—
his pillowy gaze without desire
and looking up to his dad.
I wonder how he ever enraged
or engaged empires;
his heroin stare doesn't inspire.
Maybe people came to him to see the light
show—the radiant show, the halo show,
the skin show—fair faced
and gleaming in his Hampton Whites,
in a time long before bleach.
(Removed an em dash at the end of "photo-shopped" on 6/30.)
Revision 1
Jesus seems false, photo-shopped
to look brighter, lighter;
so light, in fact, he floats.
It only shows one side,
and that makes me wonder
if it's his ugly side that hides.
He's framed as a role model:
chiseled jaw, cheekbones rising up
to heaven – candlelit eyes,
Mel Gibson blue –
his pillowy gaze without desire,
and looking up to his dad
with a history of violent behavior.
I wonder how he ever enraged
or engaged empires;
his heroin stare doesn't inspire
visions of an historical force.
Maybe people came to him to see the light
show – the radiant show, the halo show,
the skin show – fair
and gleaming in his Hampton Whites,
in a time long before bleach.
Original version, titled "The Light Show"
I never cared for Jesus – I like bad boys.
And blondes. He wasn't blonde, but he looks like it in his pictures.
They always seem false, photo-shopped
to look brighter, lighter;
so light, in fact, he floats.
Some pictures only show one side,
and it makes me wonder
if it's his ugly side he hides.
People say he's a role model:
chiseled jaw, cheekbones rising up
to heaven, his gaze perfectly desireless,
and always looking up to his dad,
to his bad dad
with a history of violence.
I wonder how he ever enraged
and then engaged an empire
with insipid stares that don't inspire
visions of an historical force.
Maybe people came to him to see the light
show – the radiant show, the halo show,
the skin show – fair and gleaming in his Hampton Whites,
in a time long before bleach.