A Garrulous Transfiguration

Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah
--------------------[Garrulous; The Thoughts of Peter Hunched Over On the Mount of Transfiguration]




Its easy for you
when dogged by life’s persistent squabbles
you simply climb a mountain
levitate, and luminesce
with the consolation of the law and the prophets…
(Moses and Elijah)
when I gaze at you I have to cower, shielding my eyes
your eyes so radiant
and clouds cloak the mountain
and muffle the thunderous baritone rumblings of God's voice
assuring you that your sanity remains
(I have no such private voice at my disposal)
though my sense of reality fritters away with each miracle
each man healed...or raised from the dead
or confrontation with the religious savants
everyone used to revere
and maybe Im starting to think...this is more than we all bargained
and maybe your mother and brothers thought so
or maybe they just wanted to say whats up
but I cant sleep at night anymore
and I don’t want you to die, and leave me behind to
sift and winnow through this preponderance of preternatural
phenomena
Im scared
and I want to erect three tents
ushering you all inside
so I can just run back down the mountain
and go back to my fishing boat
to make sense of it all




-----------------Matthew 17:1-9
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."