EUROPE, 1991

His face was crimson.
No one was surprised at the
church in Ljubljana when he
genuflected in front of
Naplolean's second cousin in the sacristy.
Or when he choked up in front of the
statue of Mary and dead Jesus locked like magnets.

He bust out of the church doors mumbling
(his mouth was full of blood
and he didn't anyone to
hear what he said).

No one was surprised when he said
"sense-seepers/dark closen/ der
klumpt en vorgord".

Nonsense talk.
The only surprise was the (easy;
easy now) crimson nature of blood.

© 1995 Daniel X. O'Neil