Liturgy
I once participated in liturgy: it was fun being there
looking at that mysterious world beyond the rail
where priests spoke words in a language
I didn’t understand… I day-dreamed a lot.
The smoke of incense delighted my nose, and the songs
delighted my ears as I listened to magic words believed
to do unnatural things to bread and wine, spoken by priests
and waited on by boys in laced smocks…I watched in awe.
The stained-glass windows and the incensed air made me
forget the grey reality of life outside, like going to the movies
and knowing it wasn’t real. But it was wonderful to disconnect
and watch the show…I prayed some but did not grow.