The Sacred Sacrament of Confession

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(A lone voice whispers)

My Silvia  

I know you're out there

Somewhere

Because I can faintly feel you as I look and speak my truth

 

Through this living breathing scrying mirror 

As I sit looking inwardly for a means to express

Contrition

Confession

Penance and Absolution

The Sacred Sacrament of Confession

I once tried

When Me and that old gent

Father Moore 

Once discussed a solution to help fix my broken heart

When I caught you cheating with Ron and my whole world seemed to shrink

Before falling apart 

And as I sit huddled by candlelight

By this rock in this semi-darkness 

Underneath a red worn-out sign

That just reads in faded yellow letters 

Soul Drought is now your only illness

Thinking about why I climbed that high mountain and jumped

As the Great Barrier between us 

Fluctuates and hums with such powerful electricity 

I guess Father Moore knew I couldn't cross the tired old bridge 

To reach that peaceful city of Absolution

But he said he'd pray

Said he'd ask the Lord 

So I'd be able to find a way to reach my own form of self reconciliation

And you wondered why my soul 

In its forty days and nights of penance cried 

Leading up to that fateful day before reaching The Matterhorn

And only ending at my funeral when I tragically and painfully died

In this half-light

I can only say

Hiding my pain away like you once said to do and keeping it subdued 

Like a caged tiger

Is like

Telling a lightning bolt to stay inside a raincloud

As the storms pass by

But I do hope you're well 

Silvia

I'm doing ok

Mary Jo from Number 4 has made herself my wife 

In this new version of life

And said I had to purge all old emotions and confess for us to move on 

I'm so sorry for putting you through hell 

But I just lost control 

And acted as though I was under a dark spell

Please forgive me as I now even after all these years

Forgive you too as I always remember those church bells

Copyright John Duffy