To: Judas Iscariot
Thérèse Naccarato
Thérèse Naccarato
They say that divinity cannot be touched
but you remember the way his shoulder felt against yours, the soft hum of his laughter reverberating through your skin,
his palm on your heel.
They say he’s washing your feet but instead of water you see blood running down his hands.
It’s supposed to mean something.
There is something painfully human about the way you feel around him.
It makes you want to scream.
What can he do about it? Will he unmake you if he sees the war within your head?
But does he not know all? What does this mean for the sinners?
You are created in his image, so how can this be wrong?
The story had already been written before you entered it. Know this.
The kiss felt hot on your mouth. It tasted of wanting. It’s worth more than thirty pieces.
May your will be done--
Then who betrayed who?
It’s said that he shouldered all sins but you still feel the weight of the silver around your neck.
Damned to hell, damned in verse, damned to an eternity without him.
They say Satan entered unto Judas Iscariot that day, but it was something else entirely.
Remember: divinity can be touched.
but you remember the way his shoulder felt against yours, the soft hum of his laughter reverberating through your skin,
his palm on your heel.
They say he’s washing your feet but instead of water you see blood running down his hands.
It’s supposed to mean something.
There is something painfully human about the way you feel around him.
It makes you want to scream.
What can he do about it? Will he unmake you if he sees the war within your head?
But does he not know all? What does this mean for the sinners?
You are created in his image, so how can this be wrong?
The story had already been written before you entered it. Know this.
The kiss felt hot on your mouth. It tasted of wanting. It’s worth more than thirty pieces.
May your will be done--
Then who betrayed who?
It’s said that he shouldered all sins but you still feel the weight of the silver around your neck.
Damned to hell, damned in verse, damned to an eternity without him.
They say Satan entered unto Judas Iscariot that day, but it was something else entirely.
Remember: divinity can be touched.
This is the first of three poems by Thérèse Naccarato that will be published in our journal. The second will be published in our July 2021 issue, and the third in our October 2021 issue. These poems are part of a series of poetry Naccarato is writing about different LGBT relationships throughout history, mythology, and classic literature.
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Thérèse Naccarato is a 21-year-old amateur historian, writer, and theatre kid. She resides in Ontario, Canada with her dog and two cats. She is set to have a poem published in Autumn 2021 but before this, has previously been unpublished.
Thérèse Naccarato is a 21-year-old amateur historian, writer, and theatre kid. She resides in Ontario, Canada with her dog and two cats. She is set to have a poem published in Autumn 2021 but before this, has previously been unpublished.