The Man Who Called Himself Jesus

He came into the shop and looked me straight between

the eyes

And said "You know I'm Jesus", and I must have looked

surprised

Because he said "Please don't be hasty, no-one

understands

But I've got a way to prove it" and he lifted up his

hands.

He was the man who called himself Jesus.

For a minute I was speechless, then I looked into his

face

With sufficient lines of sadness for the total human

race

And I said "You must be joking" but he slowly shook his

head

And said "That's what they all say, I might as well be

dead".

He asked me if I knew a place where he could start to

preach

I said "Well try a church or maybe Brighton beach"

And I was trying to be serious but he didn't seem

impressed

He said "You think I'm crazy, you're just like all the

rest".

I was really quite embarrassed, he was looking so

sincere

So I said "I close the shop soon, won't you come and

have a

beer"

Then he asked me if I meant it and he smiled a funny

smile

And he said he'd rather like that and he hung arounds a

while.

On the way he stopped to pat little children's heads

And he taught them one line prayers to say as they went

off to their beds

But mostly they were frightened and they looked at him

wide eyed

And when he said his name was Jesus, one girl even

cried.

In the pub I asked him if he'd tried to see the Pope

And he said although he'd thought about it there was

really not a hope

Then he said he thought he'd better go, he had some

work to do

He said he'd come and see me in about a week or two.

Well after he had gone I thought of what he'd said

And all his funny actions they kept running through my

head

And when I felt my mind was drowning in a sea of mud

It seemed his pint of beer had turned into a pint of

blood