Jefferson Turnip: The Turnip Walked
Ross Balcom
1.
shadow found the Turnip
oh, he died
death nourished him
sent him forth
the Turnip walked
I do not lie
2.
his face
blank acreage
where shadows
grew
and you could lose
yourself
in that face
blank acreage
that looked
through you
3.
in the moonlight
did he feed you?
of his pale, cold flesh
did he feed you?
of his love, his memories
did he feed you?
tell me, tell me
he did feed you
yes, the Turnip
he did feed me
4.
love
with no death
can be stricken
Turnip
our human love
will quicken
dead boy
our hearts have taken
to a place...
unforsaken
5.
oh, he walked
the country miles
he walked
feeding us
freeing us
the friends
the strangers
freeing us
feeding us
he walked
I say again
the Turnip walked
6.
the pale legions
follow him
the blessed
those of the new flesh
the Turnip's people
the blessed
down the moonlit
country roads
the blessed
and I am of them
the blessed
the blessed
7.
and all roads lead
to the dead boy's eyes
the dead boy's arms
the dead boy's heart
and all roads lead
to the dead boy's love
the dead boy's flesh
a brand new start
8.
the food eternal
Turnip has given
the new flesh
Turnip has given
release from old ways
Turnip has given
Turniphood
Turnip has given
9.
by the dead boy
unforsaken
we the higher road
have taken
Turnips all--
the world we'll feed
makers of
a pale, cold breed
10.
Jefferson Turnip
boy unbound...
death nourished him
sent him forth
the Turnip walked
I do not lie
he fed his people
the old world died
Poet's Notes: This poem is a sequel to "Jefferson Turnip," a poem of mine previously published in Songs of Eretz Poetry Review http://www.songsoferetz.com/2015/04/poem-of-day-jefferson-turnip-by-ross.html. In this poem, dead boy Jefferson Turnip returns to transform the world with some parallels to the Christ story. What else can I say? I hope y'all like turnips.
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