Mother Mary deliver us from this plasticine enlightenment
this trite belief that what lies beneath
is picture perfect bought and sold
no returns exchanges or refunds
a whisper worth its weight in gold and
are you willing to shell out the dough just to hear it?
It’s all wrapped up and packaged pretty so
you only barely fear it.
Mother Mary deliver us from mental poachers
caregivers lifecoaches the snake oil charms
they sell us and the promise that withers
take us now unto your breast and tell us
the rest of your single teardrop’s tale–
whose blood did you spill? what was it
you killed? and was it, once upon a time,
for sale?
Mother Mary deliver us in
a flood of screams and blood
bring us forth in a deluge of
your sweat and your tears
perform the oldest of rites for forty
days and nights change our forms
into something more real
baptize us in clouds of flies reborn
from on high save our souls and
teach us to beg
borrow and
steal.
–k.b. 07052017