asleep

i was at a gathering yesterday with family
and friends, people i love and people i just met
most times i find myself in these gatherings
where the subject of politics and religion
never comes up

my father, however, always seems to manage to
get some poke of negativity in on both subjects
but often i can just allow him to be him
and not let it permeate my skin
permeate my neurons and ego

last night was not one of those times
and it was not my father on this occasion
it was a man whom i never met before
a stranger
a good friend of the host and hostess
around the campfire

"purgatory"

oh no

here we go

i think my brother brought it up

that word started the spark

the stranger

a self proclaimed blood born-again christian
judging the world, judging the catholics,
judging the blacks, judging the mexicans,
judging the president, judging the homosexuals
theyre all going to hell
jesus and god are killers of sinners
judgment day

ugly, ugly, ugly

i shut him up later
just confessed who he was sitting next to
he left

i felt ill
my own judging eating at me
he permeated my skin
toxic poisonous words
against the grain of what god is truly about
love...forgiveness...no matter what

people

humans

me

for a short while

i was...

asleep