Our Lady of the late night hospital,
Lily of antiseptic, Queen of morphine drips,
I'm in so much pain.
White lady, help me.
Cool hands, make haste to help me.
Light of visions, Robe of roses,
I give you my skin.
Who squatted in a stable, swaddle me.
Who lost a child, lift me.
Who said yes, beyond
all reason, graciously --
graciously hear me.
Lady, the barest moon goes down
over the skyline, the sky
greens and deepens,
the moon like a pulled bow
and the star-spattered sky.
Lady of shadows, Lady of ferns
stirring, Lady of owls,
stay with me. The hours
fold like linen and the nurses
pad by on rounds. Seven-fold
hum of hospitals, Star
of drug-stranged dreams --
guide me.
Queen of refugees, this
is your place, cool Egypt
of cinderblock and wired glass.
Tent of oxygen, Lady
of partitions, Walled garden,
hear me. Who sobbed in darkness,
save me. Who carried swords,
make haste to save me.
I call on you, God
mother, powerful surrender--
watch over me.
I am stretched like a belly
but there's nothing in me.
Breathe over me. Lady.
Breathe over me.
_________
Okay, again I am torn between excitement over writing this and dread that other people see it. Why do I post this stuff?
In reading this poem it would help to know the Great Mary Litany, (the Litany of Loreto) one of the wonderful strangenesses still alive in the Church today. Even if all this Marian stuff makes you nervous -- I know, me too -- go read it. It's just so ... much.
yours is ... so much.
thank you.
keep posting these.
It's the stuff in the fine print on that litany page that gets interesting...
"St. Mary Hazel of Sleepy Hollow, pray for us."
Is George Carlin involved in this?