“At last check, Jesus’ teeth were doing fine,” (Christopher Cantrell)

Lydia La Roux is a Detroit transplant to the Bay area. She enjoys daydreaming, vegan cooking, screenplays, and the sun. Find her on Instagram @lyddderbox.

Medical Exam

by Christopher Cantrell

Jesus has a liver, you see,

that does its job of filtering impurities;

and two kidneys that function quite well, regular and dutifully.

At last check, Jesus’ teeth were doing fine,

save for the usual amount of plaque here and there.

Apart from a mild sunburn, his skin is healthy and in good shape, unbroken and clean;

his hair, as well, seems all right (though not very cosmetic, with all those split ends).

The microfilaments lining his large intestine, moreover, function with textbook precision.

Indeed, Christ’s internal organs, one and all, seem normal and complete: nutrients are broken down, energy is stored, and disease is combatted.

I might go so far as to say that, overall, he is a fine biological specimen, young and strong, and in as a good physical condition as can be expected.

Christopher Cantrell is a career educator, credentialed in five different subject areas, with twenty-five years’ teaching experience who grew up lifeguarding, playing tennis, and performing in community theater in Southern California.  Cantrell earned a MA from SFSU in 2000.  His previously published work includes poetry in Mists of Enchantment (National Library of Poetry: 1995); the short story “City Dance” in Blue Eyes & Other Short Romantic Stories (Phyllis Scott: 2011); and, most recently, the nonfiction essay “The Importance of Physical Education” (TheSportsDigest.com: 2017). He lives in San Francisco with his wife and children.