Aruni Wijesinghe

Disco Jesus

I find Christ
at the Purple Heart Thrift Store
at the hour of His arrival. When the girl
behind the counter lifts Him
from a box of donations, I know He
is mine. His shrink wrap is intact, His price
in Brazilian reales unsmudged on a blue sticker.
The chipped paint on His face and hands
gives Him a tortured saintliness,
but His stigmata are nail-polish bright. 

What speaks to me most
is the mosaic of tiny mirrors
that adorn the drape of His robes.
Even through the dusty plastic shroud
He sparkles with diamond allure.
Tiffany splendor. Studio 54 fabulous.
I offer the princely sum of ten dollars,
carry Him out the glass door with both hands,
admire Him in the bright sun
of the strip mall parking lot. 

At home I unwrap Him and place Him
in the center of the kitchen table.
After four years of marriage
my husband is used to my crow-like obsession
for anything shiny, shrugs at the treasures
I spirit home from second-hand store pilgrimages.
Jeff takes one glance at His glittering,
dubs Him Disco Jesus, then takes his mug of coffee
into another room. I sit on a chair, pew-hard,
rest my chin on double-stacked fists. I gaze
at hundreds of myselves reflected
in a nine-inch savior. 

Disco Jesus finds His place
on the top shelf of our bar, outstretched arms
welcoming friends from between half-drunk bottles
of Hennessy and Crown Royal. Sometimes
I take Him down from His perch, wipe the dust
from His glory. I turn Him in my hands,
wonder at my own flawed appeal.

Aruni Wijesinghe is a project manager, ESL teacher, occasional sous chef, and erstwhile belly dance instructor. A Pushcart Prize-nominated poet, her work has been published in journals and anthologies both nationally and internationally. Her debut poetry collection, 2 Revere Place, is currently available through Moon Tide Press. 

She lives a quiet life in Orange County, California with her husband Jeff and their cats Jack and Josie. You can follow her writing at www.aruniwrites.com and on Instagram @aruniwrites.