Just Another Story
2/28/83

It happens a long, long time ago.  I’m sitting under a fig tree, eatin figs, when 
I heards this commotion comin down the road.  There’s a man talkin an a bunch o’ 
guys taggin after him, an hanging onto everythin he’s sayin.  The one’s doin most 
o this talkin is called “Jeezus” and the rest of his “boys.”

He’s tellin me how he’s gotta kinda destiny or somethin an these sure are eatin 
it up.  I don’ buy it, but I have nothin better going for me, so I gets my bag 
an stick and start after them.

It turns out t’ be a pretty good deal.  We go into a village as everybody comes 
out t’ meet us.  Now, this guy, “Jeezus” talks to em an does somethin way out, 
an it blows their minds.  After that, they feed us an treat us like we’re important. 
 An it goes on n’ on like that, village after village.

If ya asks me what’s he do ---- I can’t say, I can’t see — I’m blind.  But don’t 
get th’ idea I’m just taggin along ‘n spongia off these guys, cause I’m not - 
I earn my keep, I send their sandals ‘n girdles, I wash their shirts ‘n cloaks 
an I empty the “honey pots.” 

In a lil while, I’m one o’ th’ boys and everybody’s talkin to me.  Then it happen, 
they start tellin me how this guy is th’ son of a woman called Mary and then who 
his ole man is.  I almost gag an if I’m smart I should keep my big mouth shut an 
humor em ----- I got a good thing goin ----- But do I clam up?  No!  I bust out 
laughin an while I’m laughin an tryin to catch my breath I say, “That’s the 
best one I heard yet.”  And if that ain’t enough, I add, “So what’s the big 
deal;  I’m a bastard too.”  Well, you’d think a jackass kicked them all in th’ 
privates ---- All except Jeezus that is.  

They start screamin an comin on, then they starts coughin n’ pukin.  I’m scared, 
I don’t say no more.  I starts cleanin the mess I triggered on, I guess that’s 
what stops ‘em from doin a number on me, but from then on, they don’ talk t’me 
no more.

They keep me aroun an I still does my thing, but they avoid me like I got 
t’plague.  Everybody, like I said, ‘cept Jeesus.  

Well, t’make a long story short, Jeezus goes an gets himself in trouble 
with t’local fuzz an in a coupla days they’re nailin him up ----- something 
he was sayin they’d do all along.  This don’t surprize me non, ‘cause you don’t 
have t’do such in those days t’get nailed up.

The town’s full o’ people an they’re all there to see this guy get crossed.  
Everybody’s there like they’re goin on a picnic, kids, bsaket lunches n’ all.

While this poor guy’s getting stretched, someone’s yellin that one o’our boys 
jus’ hung himself.  Everything’s upside down, everybody’s goin nuts an I’m 
bouncing around in no where trying to find some of our boys. I finds out later, 
as it turns out, I’m the only one lookin.  Then, all of a sudden there’s 
thunder ‘n lighnin an some son o’ a bitch is hollerin, “Get that blind bastard, 
he’s one o’ em.”  I feels rocks hittin me all over.  First I’m screamin, then 
I’m biggin, then I’m made an I’m cursin o’ swimin my stick til I drops dead.

Those lousy creeps, they let me lay there for two ‘r three days while th’dogs ‘n 
worse eat me up.

Finally, I start stinkin so bad, they gotta dig a hole ‘n throw me in.  I been 
floatin in this one spot ever since.  I tried moving aroun but I bumps into things.

You know, when I was alive, I was blind in more ways than one.  Jeezus was, 
probably, the only one I cam near likin, but he was far out.   Hey!  You’ve 
gotta understand I wasn’t put t’gether that good m’self.  Anyway, he wasn’t 
really tryin t’hurt nobody.  He knew he was goin to loosen some wrappers an 
he knew he was goin to get it.  But, he felt that was th’ only way he was goin 
to open th’ cages they locked their brains in.  I know, I laughed when they 
told me who his “ole man” was.  But now I see he wasn’t that far out, because 
we all got a piece o’ God in us an God’s never goin t’be together unless we’re 
all together.

One thing’s for sure, he knew there were a lot of freaks in t’world, myself 
included, an he knew he wasn’t goin t’change things overnight.

For whatever it’s worth, I think we should all take a turn at unlockin 
those cages.  Maybe this guy knew what he was talkin about.  

Oh, by the way, Pal, which way you headin?

Joseph Vosbikian