I FINALLY fucking get it!
After all these years
of hearing Christians talk
about Eternal Life;
I finally get it!
Somebody,
somewhere along the line,
may have gotten it
all wrong?
Missed the mark.
Like,
maybe in translation,
“prophet”
was even misinterpreted
as “profit”?
Maybe that’s why
they ask for 10%
to praise the lord!
I figured out
how to do THAT
for free!
You never know.
Seriously.
The truth don’t need me
to be told.
Today I picked up
a car that I bought
for four quarters
from the family
of my friend,
Steve,
who died
last year.
I,
You,
Life,
The Universe,
all loved
Gesture Steve.
Who wouldn’t?
When you reached your hand
to introduce yourself,
he refused to shake it,
instead,
saluted heavenward saying:
HI! I’M STEVE! I DO THIS!
I am grateful,
as SISTER LOUISA’S Art Whore,
that he loved US.
SISTER LOUISA
is Guest Artist
at The High Museum
next month
and working with
Community Outreach
to create an
Art Car.
Steve’s car
will be the art car,
which is so appropriate
because he showed up
at every art show
of every artist
that he loved
in Atlanta.
Art Shows didn’t start
until his arrival.
He was Atlanta’s
#1 Art Supporter
as far as I am concerned.
So,
getting in the car,
I see three bumpers stickers
that defined his life
in Atlanta.
1. SISTER LOUISA: THE HIGHER THE HAIR, THE CLOSER TO GOD
2. Midtown Mellow Mushroom: GET INTO A NEW HABIT
3. THE LOCAL
Turning on to the interstate,
I turned the radio on
which is still tuned into
the same station
that he always talked about:
NPR
Being a boy,
I know I’m not
suppose to cry,
but I did;
I guess it’s because
I have an alter-ego
who is a girl.
(SEXIST FOR CHRIST!)
I cried.
And I cried.
And I cried some more.
Steve was there!
Steve’s presence was in the car still!
I looked out the window
to the rear view mirror
and it was cracked
and hanging.
THAT was Steve!
The front bumper
was hanging on
for dear life,
THAT was Steve!
The rear bumper
was not one with the car,
THAT was Steve!
Steve couldn’t care less
what things looked like
on the outside
as long as they were right
on the inside.
Maybe this
is what Christians
say is Eternal Life,
I thought!!!
Maybe back then,
when they wrote
THAT book,
someone heard someone else
say that a dead man
came back to life
and thought they were
being serious;
took it literally.
Maybe they were all drunk,
just having a good time?
All i know,
is I believe!
I BELIEVE!
I BELIEVE!
I BELIEVE
that Gesture Steve
was with me
driving back down to Atlanta,
laughing all the way;
tickled pink
that his tacky ass,
beat-to-fuck little car
was going to be
on the mezzanine
of THE HIGH MUSEUM!!!
I swear I heard him say:
“Grant,
can you believe it,
my car is actually
going to be used
as an Art Car,
it was all worth it Grant,
wasn’t it,
can you believe it,
this is real Grant.
MY CAR…”.
All I could say
as I was
driving & crying,
was
I BELIEVE!
I BELIEVE!
Hi! I’m Steve. I do THIS.