If John the Baptist
were alive today
he would be wearing
second hand clothes
with holes in them .
He would be living
on the streets
with cardboard
for shelter

He would be
eating out of garbage cans
but he would never
need to beg

He would be
on every street corner
telling us we must
repent and to prepare
for one coming
that would be greater
than him

And no one
would be listening
to a homeless
man on the street

They have children,  
they have homes,  
they have money,  
they have jobs,  
they have cars...
and there are so many other things they wish to have.  

We, poets,
have paper and pen.  
That's enough.

invited me ‘round for tea
I said thank you
but I have some at home   ..

If you don’t know who’s side you’re on,
Come stand by me, it’s mine.
If you don’t know who’s right or wrong
We’ll sort it out in time.

If you don’t know what choice to make
For none of them look good
Come join me for convenience sake
It’s something that you should.

If you don’t know what you should do
Come sit by me and learn
I’ll tutor you the whole way through -
Teach you which way to turn.

If you don’t know who I might be
Come here and take my hand
We’ll help this country to be free
And once again the promised land.
ljm