The Invitation

From "Phoenix Song"

When God calls me to his tent, 
I walk out across the desert 
to accept the invitation. 

And yes, the wind stings
against my city-soft face. 
And no, I’ve never grown used
to the smell of his sheep. 

But when God calls, there’s 
nothing like that music. So I 
leave behind my world. I shed
my shoes. I cover my head
without a second thought. And
(though I am a vegetarian) 
when I smell the fatted calf, 
I eat. 

---

Originally published in Phoenix Song