When Moshiakh Comes

by Lawrence Bush, from his book, Waiting for God: The Spiritual Explorations of a Reluctant Atheist
When Moshiach comes . . .
The Pentagon
will be a post office.
The President
will be in therapy
at least once a week.
The average American
will speak three languages
when Moshiach comes.
When Moshiach comes . . .
The National Anthem
will be a jazz standard.
The White House will be
redecorated
as the Rainbow Room.
We’ll proudly fly the flag
when Moshiach comes.
People will often ask,
“What day is today?”
It will be fun to stand in line.
We’ll all have
Bloomingdale’s credit cards
when Moshiach comes.
When Moshiach comes . . .
“Fuck you”
will be a friendly greeting.
High school kids will be taught
to be attentive lovers.
Tampons and sanitary napkins
will be free
when Moshiach comes.
Those who rape
will be taught, by men, to weep.
Those who steal will be
given what they want.
Those who abuse
will be held with loving arms
when Moshiach comes.
“How shall we get rid
of our dismantled
nuclear weapons?”
“Who should be the
first inducted into the
Hall of Outstanding
Gay Americans?”
How will we apologize
to each other
when Moshiach comes?
When Moshiach comes . . .
Russia will be named Glasnostia.
The U.S. will be named
the Altered States.
We’ll be much, much less afraid
when Moshiach comes.
Africa will host the feast.
Glasnostia will offer
the benediction.
The Altered States will receive
an invitation
when Moshiach comes.
Israel will build settlements
for endangered animals
in reforested lands.
The U.N. will declare that
“Zionism ain’t all that bad.”
There will be no weapons
in Jerusalem
when Moshiach comes.
When Moshiach comes . . .
Whales and dolphins will send
congratulatory messages.
The only threatened species
will be Male Chauvinist Pigs.
We’ll still be allowed
to kill mosquitos
when Moshiach comes.
We’ll proudly
display our wrinkles.
We’ll notice
each other’s eyes.
We’ll dream less of
other worlds
when Moshiach comes.
“I want to share this
with my mother.”
“I wish my father had lived
to see this.”
Will there be a resurrection
when Moshiach comes?
When Moshiach comes . . .
We will wonder how long
Moshiach intends to stay.
We will try to be brave
and stop weeping.
We will forgive
but not forget
when Moshiach comes.