Rosary

Hail Mary
Full of grace
Blessed are you among women
And blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus 

The baby had colic and money was tight
She was not always patient.
Sometimes at night she wept
Watching his finally-sleeping face
Stroking the tiny foot that would one day be a man’s
Fearing what hurt she’d done him in her pain 

Holy Mary
Mother of God
Pray for us sinners
Now and at the hour of our death 

You get the child you get, not the one you’re ready for
When his passion overwhelms him
She tries to keep him safe
But she can’t understand the things he sees
Sometimes she feels so tired, wants an ordinary boy
But she leads him home and listens to his tales 

Hail Mary
Full of grief
Blessed are you among women
And blessed is the fruit of your womb 

She saw her child murdered
Held his broken body in her arms.
They make her look young in those pictures
But she was fifty then
And aged at least a decade overnight.
And she did not feel forgiving. 

Holy Mary
Mother of God
Pray for us sinners
Now and at the hour of our death. 

All the rest came later, after she herself had died
Rock and tomb, signs and tongues, all were comforts that she had to live without.
Her days broke into moments, always now and now and now:
Give that bread, hold that hand, wipe that brow
Though you don’t know if it matters or makes any sense at all
Do this, he said, do this in memory of me 

Holy Mary
Blessed are you
Pray for us 

For this is all we have
A touch, a kiss, a word
To fill this fleeting interval of light.