Surprise!
The burn of Love's hand, like a slap against the soul, is just another day in the Soup Kitchen. The wretched of the street, with their smells and addictions, huddle in the doorways. Annie, sweet Annie, Annie of the disappeared teeth... "Hi babe", she says, "My children are coming for me today." "Oh, Annie, tell them to wait and have a bowl of soup with us!"
"Lorenzo! What happened to your clothes? Did you lose them again?"
"I swear they were on me when I fell asleep! But you know my ladies, can't never get enough of the fat man. You got any clothes in there big enough for me?"
"Sure. I'll find something for my pretty boy. Something better than your blanket that got lost from heaven."
"Say, I like that! My blanket, lost from heaven!"
Waiting at the door is the Bug Man, Junior. He's refused a shower for a few years now, sure the water 'ill finish him off. "Can I come in again today?" "Of course, Junior! We've already got your table ready for you!" He smiles the same toothless grin as Annie, and lurches away to the railroad track bushes -- still some hours to kill before the one o'clock lunch line.
So the day proceeds: veggies tumble from the refrigerator. Volunteers are certain they will be feeding the hungry Christ, or Buddha, or saint of their persuasion. An atheist makes a point of doing the good work because it just needs the doing. I listen. Sometimes I talk. It really is interesting...
One o'clock. I'm shaking everyone's hand. I see him. He saw me first. I see that his eyes never leave me. I shake his hand when it is his turn, and point to an empty seat. "I'm going to kill you today", he says as he walks by."I hope you enjoy your soup", I say. I'm not kidding, but the shadow of a dark thought crosses my mind, maybe he's right.
Lunch is over. Clean-up is finished. I'm walking out the door. There he stands. He presses his nose into mine. "You can't escape to another universe." I quietly agree. Then, as I'm on my way down into the gutter and hoping my glasses won't break, God-in-the-form-of-a-very-large-prostitute, appears from nowhere. She picks him up with one hand and holds him to the wall. Looking at me, she says simply, "Robert, leave." I'm thinking, that's a brilliant idea. So I head for the corner and take one look back. He's looking at her, she's watching me. I'm gone.
One year later, I'm shaking hands and passing out hugs, and welcoming everyone into the Soup Kitchen for lunch. Today, it's Fresno's turn to eat at Junior's table. David thinks he's got him convinced to take a shower. Then I see him, way back in the line again. He slowly follows the crowd in for a seat. He knows I recognize him. I also know that God-in-the-form-of-a-very-large-prostitute is in a recovery program -- so to the hills do I look for my help?
Our hands meet in a gentle shake. He apologizes for the way he had acted the year before. I say, "I'm glad we both came out of it alive." He never came back. But that's okay -- he'd done what he'd really come there to do. You see, I needed a whole lot of prophets and angels to visit me till I fully understood, for certain and for sure, God can be God-in-the-form-of-a-very-large-prostitute and everyone else, too, for that matter...
"Lorenzo! What happened to your clothes? Did you lose them again?"
"I swear they were on me when I fell asleep! But you know my ladies, can't never get enough of the fat man. You got any clothes in there big enough for me?"
"Sure. I'll find something for my pretty boy. Something better than your blanket that got lost from heaven."
"Say, I like that! My blanket, lost from heaven!"
Waiting at the door is the Bug Man, Junior. He's refused a shower for a few years now, sure the water 'ill finish him off. "Can I come in again today?" "Of course, Junior! We've already got your table ready for you!" He smiles the same toothless grin as Annie, and lurches away to the railroad track bushes -- still some hours to kill before the one o'clock lunch line.
So the day proceeds: veggies tumble from the refrigerator. Volunteers are certain they will be feeding the hungry Christ, or Buddha, or saint of their persuasion. An atheist makes a point of doing the good work because it just needs the doing. I listen. Sometimes I talk. It really is interesting...
One o'clock. I'm shaking everyone's hand. I see him. He saw me first. I see that his eyes never leave me. I shake his hand when it is his turn, and point to an empty seat. "I'm going to kill you today", he says as he walks by."I hope you enjoy your soup", I say. I'm not kidding, but the shadow of a dark thought crosses my mind, maybe he's right.
Lunch is over. Clean-up is finished. I'm walking out the door. There he stands. He presses his nose into mine. "You can't escape to another universe." I quietly agree. Then, as I'm on my way down into the gutter and hoping my glasses won't break, God-in-the-form-of-a-very-large-prostitute, appears from nowhere. She picks him up with one hand and holds him to the wall. Looking at me, she says simply, "Robert, leave." I'm thinking, that's a brilliant idea. So I head for the corner and take one look back. He's looking at her, she's watching me. I'm gone.
One year later, I'm shaking hands and passing out hugs, and welcoming everyone into the Soup Kitchen for lunch. Today, it's Fresno's turn to eat at Junior's table. David thinks he's got him convinced to take a shower. Then I see him, way back in the line again. He slowly follows the crowd in for a seat. He knows I recognize him. I also know that God-in-the-form-of-a-very-large-prostitute is in a recovery program -- so to the hills do I look for my help?
Our hands meet in a gentle shake. He apologizes for the way he had acted the year before. I say, "I'm glad we both came out of it alive." He never came back. But that's okay -- he'd done what he'd really come there to do. You see, I needed a whole lot of prophets and angels to visit me till I fully understood, for certain and for sure, God can be God-in-the-form-of-a-very-large-prostitute and everyone else, too, for that matter...
