the moon is upside down

tonight i sat under a neon cross
on a brick step
and cobblestone path
under a barely lit sky.

i eyed half of the man on the moon, hanging upside down
and a tree cut back to make way for the power lines

i looked across the road
at the past home of a good friend
and the 'for lease' sign up
for the place next door. 

and it makes me think of how much things have changed
how much they change still and whether or not i'm okay with it

but i read, 'awake, awake,
put on your strength, o zion,
put on your beautiful garments,
o jerusalem, the holy city...'

i wonder if i have the strength to awake, awake, and whether or not 
i can remove this dusty thing and put on my beautiful garments

'shake yourself from the dust 
and arise...loose the bonds
from your neck, o captive daughter of zion'

but the chains hold so heavy sometimes that all i feel i can do
is lay down under their weight, and cry beneath their heaviness

i have been down to egypt
sold for nothing;
oppressed for nothing
and redeemed without money

but i know the one who speaks, i know his name and what he says.
"how beautiful on the path are your feet, you who proclaim my peace"

who let me go down to egypt?
and led me out by the desert?
the same one goes before me,
and is my guard behind

i don't want to move from under the neon cross or walk away
from the green door or rise from the bricks and the cobblestone path

my head hangs and considers
the broken upside down moon
the silly hacked up tree
and the new owners of the house

but the voices of my watchmen lift up and remind me that my God reigns. 
they see his return to zion. and together they sing for joy

even the mosies join and prod
"rise, rise! or sit here 
and be eaten alive.
shake yourself from the dust!"

i shall not go out in haste and i shall not go out in flight.
but i shall go out. i can't just stay here in the dust and ashes.

i will put on my strength
put on my beautiful garments
and publish good news of peace 
and say to zion, "your God reigns"

because if i don't i'll just sit here in this comfy chair forever and drink tea 
and eat chocolate and never move. and that just won't do.