His name followed
everywhere,
from well-intentioned lips,
falling from familiar faces, shame friends
who knew more but made a habit of forgetting than
remembering he didn’t want anything
to do with him, but here he was like his aunt
pass stuffing in Thanksgiving, every family holiday
to remind him He was the first born, the favorite of his family, Jesus
He was the big brother he would never let go
forget Him, forget them:
his childhood crush
his high school teacher
the priest of his church who believed in him
being a phase, not a name, more choice than reality
jury condemned, court ordered
legal changes but they could not do
Let Him be He, for He was still He
always for his enemies
temporarily DMV
in brackets for the politicians who apologized
he asked to undecided voters in our divided county
those who believed in him, could agree with him, they could
more easily identify Him and Her and His
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, my God
it was given, it was given, it was given by God
how could he be given that much and want to be
his, demand, ask, explanation
deviation, a subject
to his mother, a challenge
to his father, a forgiveness?
to his employer, an oh!
to his grandmother
and to his grandfather, next to him?
he wanted her to leave
he wanted to slash s right out of he
grab him, shake him until he forgets his end
he coughed to the middle, the aunt fills
has come down r he left Him who was in the beginning
