[Newspoetry] railcar preachers

[nicolle neulist]

railcar preachers

last time i checked
there wasn't a steeple on the red line car
to 95/dan ryan

besides
all the would-be preachers there
break pleanty of rules
while attemping to purify souls

they solicit
they sell their faith
for a dollar donation
and a pack of peanut m&m's
and claim to the tired throngs
that jesus saved them from
drugs
gangs
homelessness
prostitution
but their son of God
couldn't save them
from soliciting on chicago transit authority's property

they cross from car to car
when they feel like they've saved enough souls
on one car
when they've sold enough candy-coated tokens
of their faith
maybe they believe
that buying and selling the souls
of people on the next car
by telling the same tired stories
from the same tired chicago streets
as the men before
is enough of an emergency
to warrant crossing
from car to car

and they do it every day
caught in a vicious cycle
indebted to potential converts
on the cta
feeling they must capture their souls
for their own good
and then
indebted to their lord
for breaking the rules
on the cta
feeling they must repent by capturing more
to satisfy him