Today's poem is by Kathleen Rooney

To Replicate the Sacrifice of Christ's Journey into the Desert for 40 Days
       

This year I gave up hope for Lent.

The otherworldly pallor of the sky—shall we say it's greige?

Consciousness bobs—a misty blob—between optimism and nihilism.

We are under siege. We are short of sages.

It's hard to be an atheist in such an age, so why not make up your own theology?

Here, see: Before they grow up, angels are angelets, like pink piglets except with wings.

Can a fasting period make time pass faster?

Sign of the cross, sign of the times.

Sing of lying down, sing of rising.

The crux of the matter? The matter sucks.

You won't believe how saintly I've become. Big halo energy.

And Easter's still a full eighteen days away.

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Copyright © 2023 Kathleen Rooney All rights reserved
from Where Are the Snows
Texas Review Press
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission