Julie the Astonishing (How She Discovered Christ Was a Metaphor)

 
 
 
The youth group leader did not fully

listen to the song “West End Girls”

 

His name was Matt and he wore khakis

 

When you’re married you can do whatever

you want he told them at Hardees

 

Smiled like a sparkling fox

She ate a biscuit

 

Later they ate long pretzel sticks

in the choir room and were prayed over

 

Dear Heavenly Father Jesus our Lord

and Savior I just

 

Bless these teens today Christ

I want you to lift

 

Open them Jesus God I ask that you do this

 

At the lock-in in an all-gold sweat suit

dear Heavenly Father

 

Bless this pizza to your use

Gratitude was hard

 

Thank you for this little hut in my chest

 

Forgiveness was easy

She had done so many things wrong

 

Please make sure the candle stays lit

Don’t leave me here

 

The lights off and the sound of crying

Thank you for holding me in this light

 

Then a hallway opened inside her blood
 
 
 

Julia Story is the author of Post Moxie (Sarabande Books), winner of the Ploughshares 2010 John C. Zacharis First Book Award, and a chapbook, The Trapdoor (dancing girl press). Her recent work can be read at Sixth Finch, Gulf Coast, and Diode. She is 2016 recipient of a Pushcart Prize and lives in Somerville, MA with her husband and two Dachshunds.