Poem
Maxine Beneba Clarke
Communion
and if hell exists
hail mary, full of grace
then surely they have lived it
and
hail mary, mother of god
there is a special place
inside the vatican
for men like pell
whose shadows fall over communion
goblets whose crisp white collars bleach
bed-wet horrors whose
swishing bishop robes
conceal
the sunday darkness
of which they
(children, shiny-shoed
and trembling)
dared not
dare not
speak
but now they have
and
hail mary, mother of mercy
give them strength
hail mary, bring them peace
and oh
hail mary, mirror of justice
we believe them
we believe