a thimble and thumb a decade of
Sunday communion
How perilous is it to
choose
not to love the life
we’re shown?
Seamus Heaney
from “Badgers”
There
are those, oh aren’t there those, who, in the coming
decade
would say you got a taste of it yourself by Jesus
(under their breath, between sips of
Jim Beam)
and
two! would you look at that, a daughter and her...
(but shhhh…)
It’s
those folks who let you go in first, hold the door, walk you
straight
to the pew near the front
and
hand you a wafer and slim thimble of juice who don’t see
(how can’t they) the habitual twitch
has come since
since
before your girl, and her gone baby are buried—though not
with her, and after the tray’s taken
don't those settle
back to the minister’s melody of judge
not
lest ye… and those whose bread goes cold to watch Clara
(saint she is) touch the cup and
bring them
back to you had it coming you had it coming you have to know
Christ God what it’s like life
doesn’t just
go
on it doesn’t here Cal let me get the door for you, how are
you
today, awful sorry to hear about your girl, had she taken
sick?
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