memory wins

go right by
vitamin infomercial
programs on am radio,
until i come
across
sisters praying
hail marys,our fathers,

an older sister
leads,i can
see her ancient,little
face in my mind,
and
responding to her are a
chorus of young
sisters,sounds like
children saying their
prayers,
are they healing the
universe? should we
each hear this alone,and
find our place?
who are we praying for?

+ + +

what were you thinking
when you saw them joined?
ropes are
tied up with sophisticated
knots,claiming
deeper spiritual meaning,

at some point
i stopped wanting to
go into the sea,
too afraid of what's
underneath,they talked
about undertow,riptides,
don't even get me
started on
creatures of the deep,
fantastic and horrible,
but
that didn't stop me
from playing radio in the
bathroom,near shower
and remember,
bgk was visiting us in
philadelphia and saved
my life,moved electricity
away from running water,

+ + +

make friends with an icon,
st. anthony's a good one,
his face is about as quiet as
it gets,
his brothers approached the
cave,and when they
pressed their ears to the door,
they heard him
at war,
temptations or wild
beasts,
thinking of his
head covering all
disheveled tho
he could not be defeated,