The Reason
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Jesus is the reason for the season.
That's why they call it Christmas.—Shirley Beckett (google her), retired school teacher and avid quilter
from the old english cristesmesse christ's mass christ meaning king, the anointed, mass meaning the dismissal, in latin ite missa est go, you are dismissed, the anointed king's dismissal, the happy word that church is out the missa is over the missa being its own being over and we wish this season were over
this season of the flood, first the flood of water then the flood of lies the flood of thieves carpetbaggers, usurers
is jesus the reason for the season? this season which refuses to be dismissed [End Page 1486] like the missa or like a dream continues, not a season for reason, the seasoning of things absent any reason, a season in hell, not the four seasons but a fifth, a season for a fifth of bourbon to wipe out the reasons we keep wishing from our pews for this season to be over
is jesus the reason for this flood and this drought? he transcends time skittering across centuries like corporate execs across continents, he's got a busy schedule like santa clause, needs a hundred arms like kali because he's got his fingers in everything
is jesus the reason for these jam-packed malls and last minute sales? jesus the savior of the american retail outlet, of macys and dillards and brookstone and wal-mart, of bed bath and beyond and restoration hardware, jesus saves anne taylor from damnation and ralph lauren from purgatory, jesus rescues amazon from slow growth and brooks brothers from another weak quarter, jesus is the way, the very best avenue for the transfer of revenue until this fiscal year finally be dismissed [End Page 1487]
jesus is the reason, the way the truth the light, master of holidays and holy days the reason for history, he set it all in motion from his remote control armchair back in that empty grave, because of him 20 centuries ago we have hurricane season this year— i guess he forgot about god's promise to noah and sent a flood anyway not accidentally but for a reason
because jesus is the reason but if jesus is the reason for this season maybe we ought to kill him again what he did to the lower ninth ward would be reason enough for a second crucifixion again one of three but not in the middle this time dangle him like a thief to the left or right a common thief that comes through the window at night
if jesus is the reason for this season drown him in his attic tie the carcass to a street sign lay him in the ninth ward mud with his feet sticking out from under a barge put him on the danziger bridge with nineteen police-issue bullets in his back put him in the superdome and let him shit in the hallway with 65,000 believers put him on bourbon street [End Page 1488] and have the people he asks for help beat him to a pulp
or let's take a tip from jesus' own methods or the methods of the church for which he is the reason like they did in the inquisition let's have him drawn and quartered and pour molten lead down his throat let's burn him alive as christians did witches or hang him in a southern tree as believers did the heathens
if jesus is the reason for this season surely he deserves to be the sacrificial lamb we'll afford him that honor
ite missa est go, you are dismissed make tracks bitch there's no place for you here now, that's why they call it christmas
—December 2005
Bill Lavender is author of many books of poems, the latest being I of the Storm, from Trembling Pillow. He is also editor of Another South: Experimental Writing in the South. He teaches at the University of New Orleans, where he directs the Low Residency MFA program and summer writing programs in Europe.
