The New Testament

Sometimes only a loincloth
covers the lower part
of his body but no one is
telling him that nakedness
is a sin, or a lie, no one is lying
to him, or lying beside him
in the dark, removing the loin-
cloth or fig leaf from the lower
half. There are dogs
barking outside the sandwich
bar, and a parrot is on display in
the lobby of the Marriott, locked
in a cage for everyone to see.
If I could see in the dark
I would tell you the difference
between the animal and the vegetable,
the nameless and the virginal, those
who rove the streets and estuaries,
their limbs exposed to the elements,
and those who stay at home behind
gated windows and tinted glass.