4: 59 In The Early Morning Poem by RIC BASTASA

the church bells nearby
toll
for whom, for you,
some prayers
broadcast on the microphone
in this place of
little christianities,

you wash your face
put on your clothes
church this morning
i forget, we used to
have church every
morning when we
were newly married,

changes, time,
ebb, high tides,
moons and more moons,
moorings and more moorings
mornings and lots of boring mornings,

i have changed and you have changed too.
i walk, i walk away, and you will pray,
i will pray too but in other silent places
far away from us, from you, from everything
familiar

too boring, but not sad yet, we are anticipating sadness
like noontime
lunch with so much chili and pepper,
and cold rice, the one we had
for breakfast,
these kinds, you know, are not my favorites....

yet without any word, you will serve them.