Sunday he gets up early
and goes downtown
and the gray light
is spreading over the city
and only a few people
are walking the streets
and hardly any cars are moving
and no trucks at all.
And he has some coffee and hot rolls
in the shiny old diner
that looks like a railroad car
with a flashing sign on it
that says EAT.

And while he's sitting there
wondering how he'll ever
find out what God
wants him to say in time
here comes this lady
with her hems all ragged
and her shoes scuffed up
and a funny black hat
crushed down on her head
and a dirty pink coat on
and who knows what
in the grimy plastic sack
she clutches in her left hand
and she stands at the counter
and stares at the guy
frying eggs and bacon there
and then with her other hand
grabs hold of a glass
and pushes it toward him
and he takes it oh so slowly
and fills it with water
right to the brim
and she takes it
and drinks every drop
in great huge gulps

and then slides the glass back to him
and they do it again.

Then she wipes her mouth
with the back of her hand
and twirls around and salutes
all of them drinking coffee
in their comfortable chairs
and shuffles double time out the door
and slams it shut behind her
and the whole place shakes.

And so he gets to the church
just when the bell is ringing
and he preaches hard about
the woman who was tired
from coming to the well
every day to get water
and Jesus asked her questions
and found out all about her
and they became friends.

And when it is over
and people are coming out of church
smiling and shaking his hand,
some of them say
"Reverend, you sounded so sincere
this morning, like maybe
you had really been there."