-------------------/Coals and Bread; A Love Poem to Ronda 'Rowdy' Rousey
Ronda, watching you fight in the UFC
is like watching you fish on the
Sea of Tiberias, flanked by
coaches and training partners like disciples
of a New World casting large nets of ambition
for a woman’s champion into
erstwhile barren waters from small,
unprecedented wooden vessels of steely resolve,
expecting nothing less than generous success,
unflinching in the face of time, even
willing to sleep naked in the cold.
Your beauty, honestly, is resurrection.
My prolonged loneliness has been like dying,
three days and three nights in the Hell
of my worst fears of never being loved,
and the repudiation from girls Ive liked,
barbaric Roman soldiers with bloodlust
hammering nails in my hands and feet,
like a shameful crucifixion
inviting public scorn and smirks from
mocking enemies who spit in my face
(Because they are already wedded with kids).
On that day my hope for marriage,
scattered like sheep,
earthquakes and darkening of the sun.
I have the scars in my side to prove
I need your comfort, the painful insistence
that I need you to have faith in us, together.
My kiss will be like 153 fishes in your net,
beckoning you to come to the shores
of my love like eternal life,
my am wrapped around your waist
like a Shepherd
as we walk from your boat
to the coals and fish and bread and fire
of my faithfulness to you.
You are my favorite UFC fighter,
with blue eyes of pure desire
that I need like salvation;
please baby please, will you
feed my sheep
feed my sheep
feed my sheep?
------------------John 21:1-17
After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
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