God's Bastard

We skipped rocks
across the pond

one day

and became best friends.

On the outside
you were just a white kid

like me.

Some people thought we were twins.

I was confused when
you told me you were Japanese.

I hadn't yet understood

the difference between
nationality and ethnicity.

I cinched my eyes closed

with my fingers

and made ching chong sounds
to show you that I understood.

You opened your eyes wide apart

with your fingers

and in a slow, lazy voice
said, "Hi, I am A-mer-i-can."

We were inseparable.

Your father taught me
what it meant to be Christian.

Your mom was an angel,

she literally played the harp.

I understood God for the first time
and truly loved Jesus.

I think my heart

was even moved by your sister.

There were always fish
dancing in and out

of photographs.

(Love can be so abrupt)

We caught a bluegill
in the pond

one day

and the next day you were gone

like one of those rocks
skipping out of my life,

like one

of those bluegill.
Won't someone throw me a line.