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