A Holy Man Pushing Redemption

-A Holy Man Pushing Redemption-
by Keaton Foster



There is a man
Daring
To be questioned
He has come
A greater distance
He stands
Right outside my door
Unlike so many before
Politely he rings
Instead of knocking
Impeccable patience
Is what all the others
Have been lacking
I conclude to myself
Maybe he’s different
Maybe he is the one
Not the one I’m seeking
But the one God
Himself is sending
“Maybe”
Such a pompous idea
A variable with no legs
A truth with no grit
Something not assured
Something I won’t bend to
In this tedious world
My faith
Of lack thereof
Is a solid reality
That I see quite clearly
I know
But then again I don’t
What he is selling
Is impossible to me
In such a dwelling
I could never live
In such a home
For wayward lambs
Because
I would still be a wolf
However
Like any good being
Of greater chances
I rise to my feet
Worrisome
I may indeed be
Never the less
Such a thing
Won’t be easy
A hell of a task
In Gods perilous existence
For those of us unsaved
For those of us
Not so redeemed
Faith is about questions
Not about any answers
I’ve read the good book
Upon my dresser it sits
I know each line
Because in this life
It turns out
Much of what I have
Is time
I understand God’s word
Or at least
As man has penned it
To most of it
I could swear due diligence
But to some of it
I would be obliged to ignore it
Downright abort it
Never even giving it
A seconds worth of thought
The man at my door
A holy man pushing redemption
Had better have a plan
And a God damn good one
Converting any part of me
Will not be easy
I hope that he
And by him
I mean God above
Likes a good fight
Because like before
He is about to get one
Wide I open the door
And there before me is
The holy man
Well dressed
Well blessed
Handsome
Dashing
With believable eyes
And a salesman’s smile
He starts off like the rest
Like he’s been indoctrinated
Into a cult that loves scripts
Good day kind sir
I’ve come here to speak
To offer you a kind word
From this here
The good book of God’s word
May I ask of you kind sir
Are you saved
Do you believe as I do
As my fellow kind do
Clearly I can tell
That all of his hopes
Hinge upon my reply
Careful never to hurt
Those who try so hard
At getting others to side
With the path of their choice
I reply
I have my faith
I have my own good book
But I do not have such belief
I believe in something else
Something allusive to most
Something that goes against
The fundamental teachings
Of God visa vie man
He, like those before
Quickly replies
Then
What do you believe
I’ll answer the best
That I have figured out how
I say Sir
First
If you can answer my question
Truthfully and accurately
Then I will convert
I will be so redeemed
My soul, my faith, my belief
Will be yours to claim
As a marker in your book of deeds
To no doubt be read aloud
Upon your distant demise
If you can answer me
Then certainly I can you
He stood back for a second
Unsure if was all a trick
Maybe he thought I was a Satanist
Maybe he was second guessing
His own duties and faith
Maybe he was lacking confidence
I’m not so sure nor do I want to be
After some time
He replied
Ask your question
So I did
Without looking
Without asking
Without so much as a second
Of any noticeable hesitation
Kind sir at my door
Tell me
How does the bible end
The last line
The last word
What does it say
There on page 859
He again stepped back
His eyes filled with an uneasy shock
I knew then and there
That he had no reasonable idea
I further insisted
Tell me how all of this
Visa vie the good book
Comes to an end
Again he was clueless
You have read the end right
You do want to know
How the story concludes
How all of us, man
Comes to meet the maker
Of all that is so inclined
Again he looked shocked
Maybe no one had ever asked him
Maybe he had never read it
Because he was too busy living it
He began to stutter
Like my question had unlocked
Some childhood affliction
That up until that moment
He had repelled with faith
And
The patience to keep it in check
But then his eyes grew big
Like marbles
Almost like silver dollars
I could tell he was sure
Confidence again beamed
Right across his face
In his heart
He was so sure
That on this day
He was going to save me
Redeem me
Set belief right within me
So certainly
And quite foolishly
He replied
And they will live happily ever after
I waited for a second
I could literally hear his heart
Skip a series of beats
He was of course quite wrong
Terribly wrong indeed
And he now knew it
Wishing nothing more
Than to set him straight
I said
That is not the answer
Not anywhere close
But I suspect that is what you wish
That is what all of your kind wish
Well kind sir pushing redemption
Wishes are not beliefs
They are just what they seem
Wishes
Things that may or may not happen
Open your good book
And read the last line
He of course did,

Amen!


A Holy Man Pushing Redemption
Written by Keaton Foster Copyright © 2014.