Journeying
From the Book of Lost Poems
The moon has opened its eye
on this Night of Redemption.
The Penitents are all dressed in black.
Only the white of their faces –
their own small moons – float
to the edge. They have chalked
their bodies and faces so that when
they disrobe of their sin
they’ll be bright as the fish
that swim far below in the dark.
The voice of the Priest feathers the night,
riding the wheel and rise of the wind.
He tells us these sinners will soon
be reborn where the cut-glass glint
of stars show the journeying souls,
all of them freed from the pull
of the earth, none now soiled
but clean as the slice of the knife
that he uses to cross – east to west –
the taut throat of each sinner,
now naked as ghosts.
We see the black of their sin
spurt out before his palm, blessing
their head, sends them over.
Glory to the Almighty, who furnishes
their new home, he intones
and passes his box around.
We put in our coin. We go home.
Frank Dullaghan is an Irish writer living in Dubai. He has had two collections of poetry published by Cinnamon Press and a third A Slow Implosion of the Heart is due out in Sept 2014. He holds an MA with distinction in Writing from the University of South Wales (formerly Glamorgan).