Matthew Smith
Thursday

Be the man who drinks from the Holy fountain.
Be the woman who changes the world.
Walk through walls of broken reveries
and turn night’s curtains toward the sun.
Your feet will find their way back to Appalachia.
In the meantime, drink wine with the farmhands in Monpazier.
Frequent the merciless streets of Manila.
Praise God for creating the riddle
and praise Jesus for explaining it.
Tell your parents that you are not like them
and Lord willing, never will be.
Republicans and Democrats will soon perish
but Independents shall inherit the earth.
Never curse your empty pockets.
Stamp your soul on every human footstep.
Most of all, dear friend, you must learn to love.
Love those who slaughter your precious ideologies
only to trade them on the black market for common sense.
Load the chamber, and then hand the gun to your enemy…
Let him patiently watch you walk through bullets and nightmares.
You will survive.
Tomorrow is Thursday.
Your eyes will see the light of day.

Matthew Smith received his B.S. and M.A. from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN. He teaches Sociology at BSCTC.