CHURCH

We were all praying,
When,
My friend,
The altar boy’s long, white, flowing surplice sleeves,
Caught fire.
A man in the choir
My mothers friend,
Leaped up over the altar rail,
And put it out.
Before any of us even had time to know,
What had happened,
It was over.
We returned to our prayers
And the hope,
That we all may be better,
Human beings than we were before.