How to Pronounce Jehova in Spanish

I converted a dozen times this morning
really
I had nothing better to do
and the church crowds were having more fun

waiting for the bus at California and Walton
listening to the white gospel blaring from
Mercy Ministries
you could hear it two storefronts
and two storefront churches away
to the chagrin of
Iglesia Gethsemani Pentecostal
(formerly a deli)
and
Iglesia Rios de Agua Viva A.I.C.
(a once profitable bodega)

if you're curious as to whatwhite gospel
sounds like
close your eyes,
think of a commercial for a romantic comedy in the early nineties
there it is
upbeat,
watery horns,

ride the wave

not exactly the thing to get my toes
(a-)tappin
but- the casually dressed woman
about my mother's age
seriously shook tailfeather
as she waved me in-
seemed convinced

Not to mention it was darkinside
and ful of bad neon
manmade in god's image
more neon than a bar even but
similar enough to where I could adapt

I'd finished my lemonade and
wouldn't've minded a mug of wine
but alas
i had meetings to go to at the houses of jewish jazzmen
who were allowed no rest on sundays
as i sat on the curb noticing the stains on my jeans
they started circling

missionaries

unseasonably suited and completely unreasonable
they liked bus stops
because they had nowhere to go but waited eternally
they eyed me cross
and jabbed in two languages
but did not yet encroach

one
moustache
thick as the seasons first grasses approached
a man following close behind
they would not be dissuaded by the rainclouds hung over my head
or the storm behind
the eyes behind the veins
hungover themselves
ready to burst

flipped
like insecure tarot
through pamphlets
eyeing the band shirtt
he kid with the gun
no gods, no governments
found the one for me

a journal named
Awake!
rather reasonable and fond of exclamation
promising Relief From STRESS!
i waited for the kick
it did not evangelize
promoting odd concepts like
sharing household chores and woodland conservation
maybe they were onto something
if they can see clearly in a full suit in hot spring
look into my eyes and see that all I really wanted was
something
to read on the bus

-

post script
on later inspection i notice that one of the answers in the previous month's Awake! crossword puzzle is
1. ACROSS
chosenpeople