After they’d climbed the hilltop there came the switch
The scene suddenly defied comprehension bright
streams of light poured from every pore of the Lord’s being
& glistened white from every transfigured stitch
in his clothing obscuring all else The others
awestruck knew enough to listen & watch
but Peter mumbled something asinine wanting to set
up little shrines for Christ & the two prophets
His tongue often stumbled ahead He wouldn’t let
the Lord wash his feet & then wanted to be washed
head to foot He’d follow to the death he said
but blurted denial to a little servant girl Yet
he’d stepped over the gunwale into the wake
of their storm-tossed ship he dove into the lake
to reach Christ on the beach & put first into speech
the foundation rock that would change the world