The Sacred and the Profane
“The Sacred and the Profane— at the Chapel” (Leviticus)
I.
On the pew behind me
The grown man with Down Syndrome
Burps hot on the nape of my neck.
A mighty rushing wind
Like the breath of Seraphim.
Holy! Holy! Holy!
II.
Five thousand
golden fishy crackers
Spilled under the pew.
Enough to feed a multitude!
My toddler eats them
Linty off the ground.
Holy! Holy! Holy!
III.
The seventeen-year-old priest
With Asperger's
Picks his nose
And proceeds to break the bread.
Holy! Holy! Holy!
IV.
A blonde boy
Makes a Jesus action figure
Do parkour
On the pew.
Holy! Holy! Holy!
“The Sacred and the Profane— at the Temple” (Leviticus)
I.
There are toilets in the Temple,
And sometimes they get clogged.
Holy! Holy! Holy!
II.
Although I’ve never worn
My temple slippers
Save on sacred carpets,
When I kneel at the altar,
The bottoms of my soles
Are black.
Holy! Holy! Holy!
III.
My white temple pants fit
30 pounds ago.
I unbutton them
When I sit
To make holy covenants.
Holy! Holy! Holy!
IV.
The old women
Smell like Bengay.
The men’s hands are gnarled,
Their knuckles doorknobs.
Holy! Holy! Holy!
About the Author
Corey Landon Wozniak lives with his wife and two sons in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he teaches English and Comparative Religions at a public high school. An avid writer, his essays have appeared in The Revealer and Public Square Magazine.
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