Future Home of the Mammoth Mega Church

Jessica Thompson

 
This land has been a working farm 
for as long as I can remember. 
Come late fall, the song of frogs 
and their, Hurry! Hurry! 
The end is near; find a place 
to huddle down and pray. 
A fox runs over the surveyed
ground. Blessed are the meek 
for they shall inherit the Earth. 
Blessed is the carpenter bee, 
the caterpillar and the serpent. 
Blessed are those with horns: 
cattle, deer and the numbered 
buffalo (hallowed be thy name). 
Blessed are the pitchforks 
that lift up the hay. 
Blessed the trees now marked 
with X's. Body of Christ, full 
of grace: cowslip and May 
apple. Gone the wake-robin, 
Indian pipe, ginseng and wood 
violet. All turned to dust 
and for this: a church 
filled with hymnals 
from which we will mouth 
the words. 
 
Listen, the sound of wings: geese flying south.

Jessica Thompson lives on the banks of the Wabash River in New Harmony, Indiana, the site of an early utopian community.  Her poetry has recently appeared in Barnwood, The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature and Tiferet and is forthcoming in Nomad's Choir, Plain Spoke and The Sow's Ear Poetry Review. Jessica also provided the photograph, Solitude, Indiana for this issue’s cover.

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