MiPo Poetry Board Best of 2002

To Serva My Tea

The Processional
(as sung by the soloist with flute accompaniment)

I believe in angels,
in something present and unseen.
But what do they believe?
Can they believe
in anything?

Recitation by the Deaconess
from Psalms, No. 154:

You circumcised my heart when I offered it.
A most devoted act you did not respect,
nor did I expect you to tear off its skin
to pour your sacred water in.

O! the pain of it!
The lessons were not gentle, but
I learned them well, an evil my faith
could never touch.

O Lord! I fear you now,
if not before.
I am in awe of who you are.
I am in awe. I am in fear.


The 1st reading from the Scriptures:

The good servant knows
to speak with silence
and thus dispel
the master’s acrimony;
to show resilience
in the face of her adversity.


The Priest's prayer for the congregation:

Let us prey
upon the weak,
that is the Lord I come to meet,
the Lord who hears my prayers
and faithfully complies; My Lord
consents to every kind of hedonistic exercise.

Who can despise a Lord who offers this?
And if your troubles never end, you find no help
from worshipping a dead and lonely god-like friend,
then worship Him, my God, my Lord
who always lets my sin slip slide
and maybe in the afterlife your hell
won't seem so bad next time.

A---men!

The meditation of the Deaconess
outside the Sanctuary (as the Priest
prays for the Congregation):

$1000
for the root
canal and no insurance
payment none at all the bastards
denied my coverage
with their explanation
of no benefits

and once
again he’s fallen
behind with the mortgage
which means late charges
paid out of my child
support as if
that will come
on time this month and I’m

so tired of his endless excuses

when what we eat
each Friday night is tuna
fish straight from the can
or generic pasta God I hate it

when he takes the kids
then calls early for the pickup
like this weekend

cause she can’t stand them one more second

and why he had to tell me
she gives the greatest head he's ever had God
only knows


The 2nd reading from the Scriptures:

And the good servant does not complain,
does not expect to hear
an explanation.
The good servant is well versed in trembling
and regurgitation.

Hymn, to be sung by the Congregation
(Come everyone and hear the sound):

Come everyone and hear the sound
The sound replete that we have found
with beating, beating (muffled rubbing)
speaking to us with its weeping

(the refrain)
Do you mind? One more time?
Do you mind? Thank-you dear,
you’re oh so kind!

Listen to it - to it listen
so in the future you will know it
when you hear it. Listen! Listen!

(refrain again)
Do you mind? One more time?
Do you mind? Thank-you dear,
you’re oh so kind!

With one small heart she fed
the masses all she had to give
What they wanted most to eat -
her beating beating (rubbing) beats

(refrain again)
Do you mind? One more time?
Do you mind? Thank-you dear,
you’re oh so kind!

A simple feast, a sacrifice
a broken heart, a battered mind
with beating, beating (muffled sobbing)
- so incomplete this furtive beating.

(last refrain)
Do you mind? One more time?
Do you mind? Thank-you dear,
we’re done this time!

The reading from
the Gospel according to Mary M.,
Ch. 10, v. 16-28
(as spoken to the Congregation by the Deaconess):

And he spoke to the multitude and said:

Blessed are the disordered,
for in their disorder they shall not know rest.

Blessed are those with sickness,
for they shall know the fear of death.

Blessed are those who beat and maim themselves in my name's sake,
for though I despise them they shall have visions.

Blessed are those who lose their minds
for they shall have the benefits of psychoactive medications.

Blessed are the liars and thieves and cheats
for they shall see much profit by it while others suffer.

Blessed are the warmongers and haters,
for in war they shall make a place for their anger.

Blessed are those who covet and lust after bodily pleasures,
for they shall cast down upon the earth my redeeming fire.

Blessed are the intoxicants,
for they shall allow men to imagine my love for them.

Blessed are the women
for they shall give pleasure to me and bear children.

Blessed are all religions of men
for they shall obscure the true nature of heaven.

Blessed are all things that walk or creep
for theirs shall be the the knowledge of everlasting desolation.

Here ends the reading of the Gospel.

The 3rd reading from the Scriptures

The good servant sings
like a nightingale
who when she cannot sing
just fakes it.

The Sermon:

We speak today of the forgiving
my forgiving me
and you forgiving me
You need forgiving but not from me
But what is to be forgiven?
I’d ask Rene about

(a genius was Rene
there’s no dispute
about his reputation)

his fiendish speculation.

But am I a fiend?
Perhaps I’ve done some things
that I’m not proud of, but
they were amusing
and shouldn’t that amusement
count for something?

If I’ve:

             been drunk and in a stupor

             drove you mad while fornicating

             with your wives and daughters, played

             with children while I diddled them

             and masturbated on their tum tums

             to an ecstasy of shame delicious

Is that something really fiendish?
At least I didn’t kill them.

I am a Man of God
and receive his gifts
of grace, his kind
forgiveness, not the kind
a fiend would give

so give me yours
and receive his gifts

but if you cannot forgive
then just forget.
For I confess
it wasn’t my intent
for unforgiving ears to hear
of this.

So endeth the lesson.

The Closing Prayer
(a responsive reading):

The Priest speaks:

We seek the blessing of the Father
(can I call you Abba?)
and of the Son
(but not the daughter)
and of the Holy Ghost (the secret engine)
and by whatever other name you wish to hear
(Jupiter Optimus Maximus? Vishnu? Fiend - just tell us)
we beseech you.

The Congregation (in unison): O’ Lord hear our prayer (so we may go home
and forget about you).

and the Deaconess says: (Whatever).

and the children say: Will we die of the asthma?

and the Deaconess replies: Not today dear. Use your nebulizer.

And then the Priest says:

For we give thanks unto you, 0 Lord
for your holy Mysteries and Enigmas
(there are so many)
given to us to heal our souls and bodies
(Rene so loves this double play)
and grant that we may feel
our faith renewed and unashamed,
a wisdom without hypocrisy,
unto the aversion of every adversary
(even you, 0 Lord, yes, even you)

The Congregation (in unison): 
O Lord, please grant our prayer 
(worship is so time consuming).

and the children say: Will we die of influenza?

and the Deaconess replies: Here’s the medicine dear, for your asthma.

And the Priest says:

Blessing all of us in your name,
0 Lord, (and well aware of the kick-off time)
sanctify us and by your love teach us
to love one another as You do us
(Does it count if I love myself first?)
And preserve the fullness of your Church
(Oh yes, and the ripeness!)
and give unto us your peace
(or better yet a victory for the civil authorities)
for well knowing that all our gifts
come from you alone
(even the ones you never send)
we send up to You all glory,
and thanksgiving, and worship,
(and any misunderstandings,
please just forget those)
now and forever after

The Congregation (in unison): 
Ahh – ahh - men 
(Thank god that’s over, it was so boring).

but the children say: Why will we die? Why Mommy? Why?

and the Deaconess replies: Ask your father dear, next time you visit.
He knows the answer, I'm sure of it.

The Benediction
(as spoken later by the Deaconess):

the day you left
the day of leaving
you left
no heavy lifting
you said
when you left
the dirty dishes for me
to clean the house
to sweep up
and weep quietly
eat cold pizza
and watch the late late show
endlessly
I pray that
you’re so blessed

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