john davis

John Davis is the author of Gigs, Guard the Dead, and The Reservist. His work has appeared in DMQ Review, Iron Horse Literary Review, and Terrain.org. He lives on an island in the Salish Sea and performs in several bands. 

thumbing a ride

I was hitchhiking with Jesus

     standing under an overpass.

It was so damn hot

     and I said it was damn hot

and Jesus scolded me with his eyes.

     I felt like a sinner

was tempted to pass him the last

     swallow in my water bottle

and said Jesus, it’s hot today.

     I was waiting for him to break bread

and feed fish to all the motorists

     zooming past, set up a fish barbecue

with hot sauce and minced onions

     hoping one of the drivers with a roomy

sedan, air conditioning and reclining seats

     would offer us a ride. Maybe his name

would be Moses and we would sing

     spirituals, Lord Lord Lord, parting waters

at backed-up bridges, driving on lakes,

     slapping hands or maybe I was standing

under an overpass in 100 plus heat

     with my scraggly dog, I was out of water

and shadows of the overpass

     resembled a crucifix.

Read John’s work and more in Solum Journal Volume VI: Doubt (forthcoming).