by Lisa Seidenberg
The Jesus totes were hung
from a bare nail in the store
among the tables of baby tees
and short shorts seen
by tweens who pause purposefully
at the offerings of each station
Not a full body Jesus
Not a loving Jesus—
It was only the head
tilted slightly—quizzically even—
sporting the brambled crown
of thorns he wore
with signature aplomb
An odd sight, nevertheless
as Brandy Melville is a brand
for the body-con set
with its “one-size-fits-most"
if you are young and female
with a bikini-ready silhouette.
With doleful eyes cast downward,
the tote bag Jesus regards
the teetering mountains of
drawstring sweatpants
In soporific shades
of gray and blue and sand
A fitting attire for the desert breeze
of Bethlehem
or the Sea of Galilee
One wonders what thoughts
might cross his mind, aware
that Brandy M permits no returns
of any kind?
