"A Western Gospel"

by: KJ Stephen

The wondering Stranger circled back to edge of the wilderness, the last town on the edge of the scorching desert. Two guns hang at his hips and bandolier gear clings to the frailest of fabric draped over his chest. He looks down on the town and slowly rides forward. The sun at his back silhouettes his battered figure. His stead slumps its head rocking left, then right, tired and ready to quit. 

Parallel parking between a palomino and a buckskin The Stranger walks into a saloon. Saw dust from the years of repairs from bar fights and shootouts lies on the paneled, wooded floor. As he orders and sets down at the bar The Stranger looks around him. Solomon is playing a honky tonk tune in the corner while Magdalene sings her sultry songs to all the other wayfaring strangers; her cleavage a tip jar. Meanwhile Adam, David, Moses and Bob Ross sit, being dealt a game of five-card stud at a green felt table by Abraham, when Jesus steps out the back to take a leak. 

Suddenly Joseph, wearing his technicolor dream poncho, pulls a knife on Simon “The Rock” Peter. But Ole’ Pete’s too fast for the likes of Little Joe. Bull rushing, The Rock tackles Little Joe to the floor gauging out his eyes and screams, “Tell me what you see in them dreams now ya’ fuckin’ queer!”

But the Sons of Israel won’t just sit idly by and before the stranger notices it the Sons draw there six guns on the Apostles, except for Judas who, as you may know, was banished to the Hell Lands for feeling real bad about what he’d done to Jesus. The gang’s newly recruited Matthias, however, bolts out the door never be heard of again. 

The twelve Sons and the now twelve Apostles stand gazing dead into each other’s eyes. They stare anticipating and ready to draw when all of a sudden Paul, who’d been sitting with the Sons during the course of the rising conflict, walks through the tension and stands with the Apostles. The Sons grow furious and fire the first shot and all hell breaks loose when they go at it.

Bullets are flying, bodies dropping like flies. Paul was shot in the throat, Peter wound up hung from the rafters. The Sons of Thunder threw a mighty beat down on Judah, Simeon, and Levi until the point when James was thrown from the upper floor and breaks his neck. Dan’s teeth lay scattered and shattered about by the billiard ball that lays open in Matthew’s dead hand.

The dead are fallen and the living remain close behind hanging on to this side of the sky. The Stranger stands at the side untouched and unscathed with cigar and rum in hand. When Jesus never returns The Stranger takes a last sip and walks out tossing a coin to Solomon requesting “Let It Be” and quietly returns to the empty streets and saddles his horse. He ventures back into the wastes with his faithful steed still rockin’, still tired and still thirsty.

Edited July 9, 2014