BEATIFICATION

I woke to to the sound of the 16^th century word

Ringing like an angelus.   Doesn’t it sound like

a word created in the 60s and the beat generation.

I watched images of a pure white stage filled

With men like Kkk men in dresses and funny pointed hats.

I thought it was going to see a rock festival

and a redneck rock star would get on stage

Instead I saw a man in a chair with a dress.

I don’t understand this cardinal law.

I have to live in the law of the land alone

And some elderly man in a dress gets cheered.

Like an image by Francis bacon

This image has been scarred on my mind

By a priest who tried to abuse me

When I was fifteen but he got

A dig in the head and I ran.

I should have said something but

I was ashamed I thought there was

Something wrong with me. I bet

He’s still abusing boys, what about

the families of these people.  What-

ever happened to empathy. 

These families have been ruined by

These people and yet they can still

Practice  and under my law

People go to jail and rock stars get ruined.

No wonder there’s an aggressive atheism

They created it.   I’m down here at the hide

By Lough Neagh hiding.