Rhetorical by Loki Bischoff

RHETORICAL

Loki Bischoff

What do you think the second coming of Christ will be like?

Will there be an echo Of the first holy conception? Do you think it will happen the same way as before When he came down as cells in a human And grew up with us Unlearning innocence while learning the ways of the world As a perfect repeat?

Or do you think it will happen violently, For with experience comes expectations And perhaps He will tear heaven apart To match the shattered pieces that are already here As above, so below

The roof of earth may crumble as he Rips away the foundations that gave us the chance To hurt him at all

To know the difference between good and evil means We know we have a choice between them But a fruit’s taste cannot be forgotten when Its flesh has already been broken by Eve’s mistake

Can you imagine Our own flesh dissolving In the radiance of the reckoning? Did we deserve it?

Avery Eckert

Do you think the rapture is real? Do you think that the Trinity will unite in Rending our senses and our souls?

Do you think he will fall? Not like Lucifer But like a cat with intent To land with purpose, without stumbling To be light on his feet without a single fault To dance on this mortal surface With grace turned into footwork instead of forgiveness

Or will we ignore every step of his descension? Maybe we have been given signs for centuries Maybe we have missed countless warnings And this is what we get for not knowing what to look for.

Are there enough faithful left to be saved? Though their numbers dwindle, Is there not still something sacred in our sin of unbelief?

Do you believe he will come at all? Is there really something to wait for?

Does God exist? Do we want it to?

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Colophon The cover of this publication is printed on Petallics Digital Pure Silver Cover and the interior pages are printed on 70# text, Terra Green. Printed by Allegra, Marketing, Print, Mail. The headlines and credit lines are set in Avenir Next Condensed, regular and bold. The text is set in Adobe Caslon Pro.

"Sinister" was produced by Pwatem Literary and Art Jounal at the Virginia Commonwealth University Student Media Center, 817 W. Broad St., P.O. Box 842010, Richmond, VA 23284-2010.