Jump
I’m told I’ve got to strum a lyric myth of the afterlife to comeSo I don’t die of fright of death or waste the life I’m in.Right now my back’s against a rock so hard it almost cracksmy spine – my back’s against a time-machine of life that’s tellin’ me,“no holdin’ back” and of-a-sudden Brother Orpheus rises upas Brother Van upon the screen and beats a syncopated riff so strongit hypnotizes brain and feet -Jump!Jump!Jump!Of that I’m sayin’ I’m not too keen when I’m not sure if I will land orjust keep goin’ down – hey, I’m sayin’ where’s the promise I’ll rise upin Jesus’ lap in an elevator-up machine – show me where it saysI’ll have a place in Elysian pastures green if I should choose to takethe risk to Jump - what then, dear Brother Van, andas for landin’ in the lap of Jesus – tell me what that means.Brother Hopkins sings that Jesus plays in limbs and faces nothis own – plays to the Father –Hey! it’s time to get to what is real - make a leap of language here! –Jump off the lyric script, the twelve-tone scale, the alphabet,dare to screech between the notes what’s not been heardor just left out or overlookedBring in some cover here –Sister Julian’s lovin’ cover song of Jesus as our given Motherand God as like a Mother Hen that’s givin’ cover to her brood.Jump! because there’s everything to gain if you land in Sister Jesus’lap or even Sister Mary’s – can’t you hear her whisperin’in the ever-rushing wind that the better thing to do is Jump in trustand make it true though it’s the hardest thing you ever have to do.Practice-jumpin’ off the bottom steps of stairs, seats of hard-backkitchen chairs wavin’ kitchen tools – your pastry blender as a steel guitaryou’re pluckin with your thumb – become a child who jumps for joybecause she can, in trust she’ll land in Mother’s lap, Sister Miriam’s,Mama Maudie’s, Mary Magdalene’s – you got it!Take your pick and plink your vision/version in your Hard RockHybrid Band with your sisters and your brothers singin’- yeah –how hard it’s been – hard as a rock – and here’s a lyric play on words –hey, don’t you know that rock can be a metaphor, another name for God?Jump for life that you may live – Jump in trust of who you are –Jump for all the crucified –Jump that even if afraid –you’ll be risin’, risin’ - risen everywhere toGod.
By Margie Dimoplon