The Municipal Lodging House, New York City,
3rd. St. just off the Bowery, 40 years ago
Not Quite Job
Christ but it's cold.
It's Spring but it's still cold.
It's not just the weather, the cold goes deeper.
The cold goes all the way. It goes all the way inside.
It goes all the way inside and it goes through and it comes out the other side.
Christ but it's cold.
People walk past. Men in suits and work clothes, women, people coming from someplace and going to someplace else walk past and they don't see you, they see a bum. A skid row bum, knees curled up to his chest shaking in a doorway. They see a piece of shit. A human dirty wine sore ragged assed curled up in a doorway until somebody kicks me out piece of shit.
Jesus Saves
Amazing Grace how sweet the sound
that saves a fucking wretch like me.
I've been washed in the blood so many times I shrunk. I took so many dives I'd be a world class competitor if getting saved was an Olympic event. Maybe I'll try it again maybe tonight maybe it'll take this time. Maybe it'll work.
Maybe
Jesus saves.
Have you heard the joyful news?
Jesus saves,
yeah, ......... maybe Jesus saves.
That's what Hell is, when maybes gone. When there's no more maybe. When you finally accept that this is what is and this is what was and this is what always will be and there are no more maybes.
Hell is close.
It's closer than death and it lasts longer.
Death in then
tomorrow or tonight or in ten minutes.
But Hell is now.
As soon as you lose the maybe.
And Jesus Christ .............
it's cold.