Photo by Imad Alassiry on Unsplash
by Joan Leotta
Officer Williams braces himself for the stench of urine as he walks over to a recumbent figure on the green park bench and pokes it with his night stick. However, instead of connecting with a soft blanket, flesh and bone, his stick resounds against metal. Startled, Williams then notices the “man’s” shoeless feet sticking out from the blanket are marked as if a nail had penetrated them. He realizes this statue is a Jesus likeness, rendered in bronze like the preserving of a child’s precious baby shoes. Officer Williams sits down next to “Homeless Jesus,” and fights back tears because he did not recognize Him, did not think any “bench sleeper” could be “precious.” After a minute, he rises, continues down the path and approaches another bench sleeper, this time by gently touching the man’s shoulder while whispering an invitation to the nearest coffee shop for breakfast together.
Joan Leotta plays with words on page and stage. A multiple Pushcart and Best of Net nominee. Learn more about her writing and performances of folklore and as Louisa May Alcott on her page.
