Mount La Verna’s No for Me
Modern poetry modern verse contemporary poetry contemporary verse modern poem contemporary poem
Along with love comes fear the way a cat
Brings fur and puurs and claws, entangled, one.
You cannot love the cave without fanged bats.
When Christ comes wholly, pain comes, nods the nun.
Along with love comes loss, the loss of seed
And innocence–though that is what we want.
Along with love comes panting greed.
We think of death across the Hellespont.
Along with love comes hate, the hatred of
The obstacles imposed by preacher, priest
And fathers, thought-filled enemies of love,
Hard fist austerity against our feast.
Saint Francis is OK if dry remorse
