Jesse
for Stephen Jesse Bernstein
when Jesse went numb the world went mad
his skin was the only contact he had
no feelings, no senses to touch
sometimes you know it just got to be too much
far away in those LA county days
dangerous companions so aimlessly amazed
imprints of violence on such a gentle soul
and the long time shadow takes its toll
and they say the greatest pain
is when you can’t feel anything
Jesse tried to tell it in the language of the day
but the glamour of the spotlight took the meanings all away
hollowed out in syllables, wind swept and raining
everybody said his pain was so very entertaining
and they say the greatest pain
is when you can’t feel anything
friends can touch and go and in the places where we meet
we can have an understanding that we think to be complete
a shared communication giving names to all our fears
never knowing what was missing till the world disappears
till the world disappears, till the world disappears
Jesse disappeared one night when time was closing in
with a demon at his throat and the lights all going dim
he left his hollow body face up to meet the dawn
and by the time they found him he was already gone
people are like landscapes, they are vast and undiscovered
eye to eye a mystery even to each other
some are dry like a desert, some are like a garden to the sea
but the parts that matter most are the parts we never see
and they say the greatest pain
is when you can’t feel anything
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Jesus and the Laughing Deity
it was in the great cathedral when nobody was around
just Jesus on cross beams wishin' he could get down
when a stranger came in ridin' on a dusty old horse
and the stranger he was laughin', respectfully of course
why so glum? the stranger said, its such a beautiful view
Jesus! said Jesus, don’t you know who you’re talkin' to
and who are you to interrupt my sacred misery
oh I thought you knew, the stranger said, I am the laughing deity
the laughing deity, said Jesus, well I have my doubts
and I don’t know what there is to laugh about
I’ve been beaten up and spat on and riddled through with spears
and I’ve been hangin' from this damn thing for 2000 years
that’s a shame said the deity, someone oughtta take you down
you don’t look so good, I know a doctor down town
you could get gangrene, this place is full of rats
ain’t no way to treat a savior leave him hangin' like that
Jesus! said Jesus as he cried a bloody tear
people say they love me but they keep me up here
they think that if I’m miserable then they won’t have to feel so bad
if I could get out of this place I’d go to Trinidad
don’t you have a famous father who could lay this place to waste
yeah I do but this was his idea in the first place
don’t ask me to explain it, it would take too long
families like mine you have to learn to get along
the deity distracted and his mouth began to smile
he realized he hadn’t had a good laugh in quite a while
but there ain’t no sense in laughin' all alone, says he
come on Jesus, laugh with me
Jesus! said Jesus you must be out of your mind
I may be many things to many people but I ain’t the laughin' kind
you better learn to be, the deity replied
it can’t get much worse, you’re already crucified
but what about these nails, they got me up here like a trophy
oh those are only as strong as you allow them to be
sack cloth and nails, hardwood cross beams and glue
start laughin' loud enough there ain’t no tellin' what they might do
all right, said Jesus, with a furrow on his brow
I used to laugh a long time ago but I kinda forgot how
that’s okay, said the deity, you’ll get it back
you just need a little somethin' to help lubricate the laugh track
you ever hear the one about the humans he said, as he got right up to his ear
and he whispered in a punch line that we will never hear
and Jesus, well, his composure started to erode
and then he broke into a laugh like the world would explode
and his laughter ricocheted like a fusillade of thunder
and great cathedral shuddered at the miracle and wonder
and after a while when he finally settled down
Jesus and the deity were both standing on the ground
Jesus! said Jesus, how did I get down
my hands don’t hurt, my side is healed and I’m walkin' around
its like I just woke up and shook myself and watched myself appear
I haven’t felt this good in two thousand years
accept it said the deity, suspend your disbelief
you don’t have to always be so serious, life is way too brief
this is your second chance my friend, it’s a brand new you
no one will even recognize you, you can do what you want to do
but what about to my followers when they come here looking for me
oh that's all right, there’s still that other you, said the laughing deity
and sure enough there he was, so high up in the dust
abandoned and forlorn just like he always was
Jesus! said Jesus, let’s get out of here
and they both got on that dusty old horse and away they disappeared
they coulda ridden off into the sunset but they went the other way
into where the sun was rises, ‘cause its better that way
now, there are many morals to be had in story and in song
be careful not to misinterpret or you might just get them wrong
some worlds are full of demons and some are filled with light
it don’t matter what you’re lookin' at if you can’t see it right
so if you need some explanations in these great vast mysteries
there are many ways to follow in many different directories
some will leave you hangin', some will give you a better view
the choice is there before you and I’ll leave it up to you
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