PLACE OF WORSHIP

For Father Meehan

the old irish priest at saint cyril’s
thought frogs belonged
on the altar
hopping over pews
croaking during sermons
filling the church with song
every sunday
he would gather the children
send them weaving
through the crowd to shake hands
as a sign of peace
he asked pregnant
women to stay after mass
for a special blessing
their rounded bellies touched
with holy water
the organist knew only one song
let there be peace on earth
but she played it faithfully 
local people were poor 
he asked rich tourists to give money
to keep his parish warm all winter
in return he kept
his sermons to sixty seconds
he said he didn’t need to save souls 
we had the frogs and the children
the women about to give birth
all these sacred places

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Published in Baybury Review