Goodtime Jesus
by James Tate
Jesus got up one day a little later than usual. He had been dreaming so deep there was nothing left in his head. What was it? A nightmare, dead bodies walking all around him, eyes rolled back, skin falling off. But he wasn’t afraid of that. It was a beautiful day. How ’bout some coffee? Don’t mind if I do. Take a little ride on my donkey, I love that donkey. Hell, I love everybody.
Riven Doggeries (1979, Ecco)
"Goodtime Jesus" has been my favorite James Tate poem for years. The last line--"Hell, I love everybody"--is almost exhilarating. What the heck, it is exhilarating as it can be read on at least 26 different levels, all good. And I'm agnostic for God's sake!