Sidewalk Temples

 I went to the temple to find God

And was only allowed to leave with myself

A miserable companion, thought I

So I gave all I had to the poor

Leaving nothing for myself 

And hoping God would notice

The irony was completely lost on me

I would rather

Tear flesh and bone

Squeeze breath from my lungs

Force my way through the eye of a needle

Than quietly look in a mirror

For if they were poor...I was rich

And righteousness could be bought

Finally I gained the courage to look upon myself:

"Oh, God, please!  

Spare a nickel for this starving, worthless soul!

I am all ash and dust!

Worthless!

Pitiful!

Shameful!

Wretched, wretched me!

Please, sir, spare a coin for this lost sheep!

Have some mercy you fucking asshole!!"

I am the poor.

With that liberating realization the next thought struck like a horn cutting through fog and the hair stood up even on the tips of my fingers:

"Love thy neighbor as thyself"

I had anxiously sought to lift up the poor

Hoping their shadow would hide my nakedness

But we are all poor

We are all naked

And we have all we need

So I continue to lift up the poor

Starting with the fellow in the mirror

Because I went to the temple looking for God

And found Him sitting outside on the sidewalk

Eating with my brother and my sister:

The poor.