As a younger man he had taken the cloth
had sold his humanity to God
had blessed babies and crossed the dying
had given assurances of eternity
and peace to those for trying

He had been a good father
a passable husband
he had wandered to and from his flock
but mostly he had held fast
and built his house upon the rock

He sat in a pool of his own piss
and was manhandled by ungentle hands
forgetting how to pray he cursed those he had led
in communion he forgave them
as they broke his bones for bread

O father my father your father
forgive us what we do
and I will pray to unknown gods
and beg
that they remember you