The hooker had saved a piece of herself,
a part kept new not old
As pure and pristine as a fresh running stream,
never bartered, never sold
The johns came and went, the money got spent,
each trick relined with pain
But in one sacred place, her past is erased
—where sun blocks out the rain
(The New Room: December, 2021)
Right After The Bell
The Baltimore Catechism,
mornings at eight
Sister Marcella,
don’t ever be late
Its message didactic,
the devil to run
Each question, each answer,
with God zero-sum
Who and what made me,
and why every day
Resistance was futile,
dissent not displayed
An altar boy’s memories,
his sacristy torn
Still missing the process
—where freedom was born
(Saint Thomas of Villanova Chapel: December, 2021)