Saint Julian Press

Terry Lucas ~ Poet

 

 

Surrender

 

Before the final verse of every revival meeting

invitation service Calvin attended as a child,

after the visiting evangelist whipped off

his sharkskin jacket, loosened his Countess Mara

silk tie, God-danced across the podium, lifting up

French cuff-linked wrists to wave the choir silent––

 

After he slid the sweaty microphone out of its stand,

skipped down the steps, and asked each man and

woman, boy and girl in this sanctuary tonight

to close their eyes, bow their heads…after praying

for some lost soul to come forward––a sign

to continue the invitation hymn another stanza––

 

Sister Ila Mae McWhorter’s arthritic fingers

would depress the keys on the upper rank

of the Hammond organ to the first chord

of “I Surrender All,” Blake’s dad would run

down the aisle, sobbing, stumbling, falling

into the preacher’s arms. Not again, not

 

Again, Blake would cant, sotto voce,

sinking down into the second row whorled––

grained pew. Then other sinners would come––

or not—either way Pastor Gray would always

introduce Brother Lloyd as if no one knew him,

as if no one had ever known him to surrender

his life to the gospel ministry, to testify

 

how he was going to put up his store

for sale again, go back to school at S.I.U.,

get his degree in religion, perhaps

even take correspondence classes from Southern

Seminary, prepare himself for preaching

God’s word in and out of season––Hallelujah!––

how this time it was real, this time he had

really surrendered to God’s will––Calvin would never forget

the way Blake curled up on the pew and lay so still, so still.

 

 

 

 

“Surrender” was previously published in Diesel, The Anthology of the San Gabriel Valley Literary Festival.

 

Picture
SURRENDER ~ Impressionistic Art ~ Created by Saint Julian Press