Call me Lukey.
That's not my name,
not my real name,
but it's pretty close.

Every time I visited a hotel,
there'd be this bible there —
not a Babel of Bibles, but
exclusively the Gideon Bible.

I go all over in my trade,
global cities, one-hotel towns.
Who was putting these books
in every room?

I don't like conflict.
At first, I just took them off
the table and placed them
neatly in the drawer.

I wasn't fussed.
People will make their way
to hell or heaven, but it was just
in my face every time.

I'd come back on the next visit.
There they were!
When people irk me, they
have no idea who they're dealing with.

So now, when I visit,
I shove them in my traveling suitcase
with the others. I hope
the idea's working.

Now, every day I take a suitcase
full of Gideon's spare bibles
down below and feed
them into the fires.

You'll find out
my professional name
when I come for you.
Lukey is close.


                                 4 July 2024