they told us stories from Jesus’ day
they gave us cookies and Kool-aid punch
the cookies were made with palm kernel oil
they tasted a little like coconut cake
and the punch was red and it tasted red
and the church had a janitor whose name was Levi
and he used to sing really loudly at times
amazing grace how sweet the sound
and we sat in a room where the floor was white
and pretended to listen to stories about Jesus
gobbled down cookies and slurped our red punch
and one Sunday morning
some kids slurped too much
and clear yellow pools appeared on the floor
at first it was one
then three and then four
and the pools turned to rivers
and then there were more
and everyone knew but no one would say
and Levi came with a mop and he sang
I once was lost but now am found
and he left the floor so clean that it shined
white as a coconut cake or a lie
and we all looked down
we all turned away
we saw we were naked and we were ashamed
it was red
bright red
and it tasted red
and Jesus still loved us
but Jesus was dead.