A poem by Matt Bialer

I tell my son get his spiritual house in order

Practice greens, driving range overlooking the Pacific

Every first Saturday     Dad, no religious rants

I don’t love her anymore    Is there someone else?

I can’t answer that     Slicing a lot   Ball not

Where he wants to put it  Light in my eyes   Son,

Need to reconcile with her and the Lord     While there’s

Still time   Dad, I’m not the only sinner here   In the office:

Insurance actuary, likelihood of future events

My computer:  Israeli jetliner shot down, 160 passengers

Floods in the Midwest, tens of thousands evacuated

When I drive home, cops detouring traffic – a demonstration

Posters of him – The Russian, dark head of hair, clipped moustache

This must be the Beast, Man of Lawlessness, Gog-Magog of

Prophecy  - Chief Prince of Rosh, ancient name for land of Russia

He will confirm a covenant with many, will be worshiped

The next month at the club, panorama of peninsula

My son, short backswing, consistent longer drives  So Dad

I moved back in  Worked on campaign for One World Government,

Fell in love again  Wears a button of Him, carefully knotted tie

Shake my son – Prophecy, will be successful for three and a half years

Jewish temple atop Mt, Moriah, declares himself God    Son, get with

The real Lord   Dad, you’ve really gone fanatic  Can’t you be happy for me?

Night, march us in to the sea   Cities burning   Up to our waists

Surf of flame  Man next to me weeping   Peals of

Automatic gunfire, deafening six shot bursts, screams

A soldier – helmet mounted eyepiece   I can see the crimson

Biochip in his forehead, other eye flares   Then I go blind

The cliffs with my son, our golf bags

Something I have to tell him   A conference, Houston

Met a young woman, blonde, smell of honeysuckle

It was dark, pawing at her blouse    I’m crying

Will he forgive me     He hugs me, a long time,

Kisses me on the cheek, says I do Dad I do

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© Matt Bialer 2010

Matt Bialer is a literary agent for book authors at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates in Manhattan.  Before that, he was a book agent at  the William Morris Agency in New York.  Among his clients are Tad Williams, Eric Idle, Patrick Rothfuss, Tracy Hickman, Jim Marrs, Philip Carlo, Jim Nisbet, Kris Saknussemm.    He also does black and white street photography with work in the permanent collections of The Brooklyn Museum, The Museum of the City of New York and The New York Public Library.   He is also an accomplished watercolor landscape painter.  A book entitled The Best of America Watermedia II (Kennedy Publishing, July 2010) will feature his work.  His poems have appeared in or will be appearing in Retort Magazine, Green Mountains Review and Le  Zaporague.  Matt lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn with his wife and daughter.   www.MattBialer.com