And Ten Hail Marys

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This work first appeared in Gargoyle, issue #19. Please respect the fact that this material is copyrighted. It is made available here without charge for personal use only. It may not be stored, displayed, published, reproduced, or used for any other purpose without the express consent of the author or artist.

And Ten Hail Marys

David Sheridan

Stoking the furnace was my job.
Afterward I'd dawdle, enjoying
The smell of moldering wood and rot down there-
Spider's breath, Melissa called it.
As the soot settled, I'd stare into
The coal bin and hallucinate:
charred potatoes from the Hundred Years War
shrapnel from a Nazi buzzbomb
Melissa would drape her peach-colored panties over
The shovel handle and taste of vinegar and salt
oysters bedded on African ice.

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