gethsemani
a medal they are. devotion reflecting pool from ribbon hung. to prove a girl. scout bound squatting as if padding protected, splitting then fitting how Madonna red they've all become: Megan, Amanda, Rose, an acrobat, a diva, a puppeteer having lost her strings. a garden walled in loose stone, oil pressed, pleading take this, pass over me, olive pits, our lady.
[part 2]
lord a mission cannot carry a face
veronica washes whipped
the leg a circle soft burgundy
shoes kicking and beaten a burden
a veil wipes the spit and blood carriage
of arms with grace adjust and to dust
we shall Jerusalem dear twirl and trickle
executioners* yank crucifixion a hill
bending a slow return
a method of arriving
in cuddle position
*At least a dozen pigs that had survived torrential rains and swum miles through rising water were shot dead Tuesday as they scrambled on top of levees.
[part 3]
palms
nailed spaghetti strand-
ed two criminals veiled you
& i falling
down the cross mocking
arms razed the length
and stretch of body zing
hands swing
nicknamed me nimble, what floorcraft
point at each revolution rapid circular
movements of the leg
remaining in a fixed spot the other leg
a pot releases
what catholic smell* &
whispered under beds
*Alcohol in lotions and perfumes attracts mosquitoes, as do cosmetic fragrances such as lavender.