Corpus Christi

---

Father,

Fear me,

But let it remain,

Like so many other things

Between us,

Unspoken.

I am not,

Nor ever was,

Your darling boy,

Your blue-eyed boy,

Your blond-haired boy,

Rapt,

Spreading my small hand

Across the vastness of your palm,

Giddy,

For a moment on your lap

And a sip of bitter beer,

Sniveling,

That you must leave so soon.

These words tender no allegory of penance and love.

I only hold you now,

In merciless silence,

So that I may feel the final breath

Depart your frail body.

---

Author's note: Corpus Christi is the name of a city in south Texas near the Gulf of Mexico. Corpus Christi translates from Latin to mean "body of Christ."