Color Outside the Lines
Color outside the lines
Coloring outside the lines
Not at my school
Nuns frowned on that;
Skirts above the knee
No way
Not at my school;
No gum, no pens,
No make-up
Not allowed-uh-uh
Not at Saint George School;
Memorize your verses
Three a night
Don'miss a word
Mistakes not allowed;
Practice cursive
Letter after letter after letter
Fingers hurting
Pain allowed;
Piano lessons once a week
Pay your dollar
Sister so-and-so
Smacks fingers with ruler
You missed a note
Abuse allowed;
Forgot your homework
Stay after school
Clean chalkboards
Sweep the floor
Empty wastebaskets
Write 300 times
Do not forget homework
Rebellion stirs;
Mass every morning
Kneel, stand, sit
Be quiet more rules;
Cover your hair
Genuflect, repeat Latin
Over and over
What did I say?
God loves you
Unless he's angry
You stuck out your tongue
A bolt of lightening
Strikes, you shiver;
Not the first time you shiver;
Hell is your destiny
Unless you are perfect
Pure, holy, say ten hail Mary's
Five our father's;
Maybe you'll be lucky
End up in purgatory;
Then someone can light candles
For a price and pray you out
Really.
Now if you r a survivor
Of Catholicism
You know only Jesus
Was perfect, only Jesus
Died, rose again, sits at
The right hand of his father
Opening heaven for us
Imperfect people
Or you are an atheist
Or you believe Jesus was a good man,
A prophet; or you believe
Nothing at all;
Priests--saddest of all
Children robbed
Of innocence--cover ups,
Lies, transfers--more abuse;
Are there Catholics who believe
What they believe, sure;
Is there a pope, sure;
Will Catholicism survive?
Copyright © Patricia Janke | Year Posted 2015
Post Comments
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
Please
Login
to post a comment