Baptism Poem by The Poet SPIEL

the baptism
"The Baptism of Christ" ca.1684, by Luca Giordano

one wonders what so predictably clings
the abundant yardage to the christ
like his alabaster flesh was sensitized to draw it loosely
to what his benefactors might find objectionable
except to expose the mansome strength of his right forearm
the somewhat effeminate grace of his left hand
the navel from which he was miraculously sprung and
a useless pinky toe which appears to have been cramped too long
in crummy shoes not meant for such a broad-torsoed man

hosted by fat-faced imps posturing as angels
with a trickle poured from a scooped shell
at this wetting of his flesh by the red-draped john
his cloth also likely to have been commissioned
to please the elite prejudice of its day

and supporting his weight on a conveniently-assigned tree stump
as if he were resisting exhaustion
from such a foolishly daunting pour
and he expects to pose statically for weeks on end

though one suspects each man would high-tail it
if the brightly backlit dove hovering above them
suddenly let loose to become the baptized
_____The Poet SPIEL