the hood
for me
is what franciscans wear
what drew me to
them.
think of it.
christmas midnight
mass
first year
serving mass
st. mary’s hospital
two franciscans
appear
deacon and subdeacon
(sisters wanted solemn high mass)
never saw one before
I
liked the hood
neat!
three years later
high
school seminary
lots
of hoods
I
reflect
you
know,
hoods
invite
could
grab them
from
behind
these
are guys you could
grab
from behind
stop
in their tracks
I
like that
I
want to be like that.
why?
who knows?
something
in me?
a leper stopped francis in his tracks
changed
his life
go
to the bottom
be
like the carp
feed
on the bottom
who
cares what the neighbors think
where
you find Jesus
where
Jesus finds you.
francis in a broken down church
crucifix
in a broken down church
a
leper church
but
this time a message:
Build!
OK
said
francis
I
will build
I
need stones
Give me stones
and off he went.
false
start
nobody
hurt
some
buildings fixed
but
new direction
build
people
build
up souls
broken
down souls
bottom
again
no wonder anyone
can stop these guys
in their tracks
background?
questionable
grandfathers
one
suicide, other probably alcoholic
yet
loving parents
parents
without pedigree
alcohol
and suicide ruin pedigrees
did
they find Jesus on the bottom?
did
Jesus find them on the bottom?
maybe
they taught me
go
to the bottom
Jesus
will find you
so I like the hood
foolish
motive for seventy years of living
but it held up
don’t
even wear the hood that much now
but it’s there
someone
could stop me in my tracks
actually,
not
a half bad way to accept death
pulled
from behind
get
stopped in my tracks
hope
by Jesus this time
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