Religion classes taught us to behave:
Defer fun’s gratification. Submit.
The patriarchy ruled the afterlife — —
Along with most improper things. Obliged.
Coerced. Imperfect those Confessions, stained.
Could any child prevent assaults or blab?
Each catechism lesson drilled down deep,
Swore death would be “the best day” of your life.
Meanwhile, your body was a sacrament,
Impure of thought and deed upon command
Swift holy water dip on the way out.
LindaAnn LoSchiavo is a dramatist, writer, and poet. Her poetry chapbooks “Conflicted Excitement” [Red Wolf Editions, 2018], “Concupiscent Consumption” [Red Ferret Press, 2020], and “A Route Obscure and Lonely”‘ [Wapshott Press, 2020] along with her collaborative book on prejudice [Macmillan in the USA, Aracne Editions in Italy] are her latest titles. She is a member of The Dramatists Guild and SFPA.
An interview — https://www.thepoetmagazine.org/interview-with-lindaann-loschiavo
Image via Pixabay
The Cabinet of Heed 