One Poem by John Doyle

 

Little Saint Tom

Alms descend on us, 

as his blessed ashes do -

for Sunday's congregation

bow before Little Saint Tom,

their speech that of tongueless obedience,

touched only by a freedom

men of his small little town ilk ration among wretched sinners -

those who sneaked downtown at midday

to revel in Sin City's diamond lights,

those who failed to open doors for a lady,

or neglect to curtsy her as "ma'am" - 

Little Saint Tom put all evil right

in our little smalltown universe,

imprinting his holy ashes 

on our wretched scalps;

though, as some among us recall,

sainthood was optional 

behind officialdom's door,

for innocents branded 

as shameful souls nonetheless,

felonies which didn't exist, framed on 

bystanders all the same,

places the blessed ashes choose not to blow,

at least not as hard as his congregation's King James speech would blow. 

One must commend Little Saint Tom -

for when those who followed his righteous 

path sin far greater

than those great unwashed -

forgiveness is easier to ration out like his bleeding Sunday ashes,

on those of his ilk for whom no shame nor guilt is on show,

stuffed in brown envelopes at five star Monday lunches -

Little Saint Tom

would wash the feet of sinners, as righteous seers do;

well, G.A.A. playing sinners at least;

for let he with county final prestige

cast the first righteous stone.

Charles Bronson shot Henry Fonda down

with a screaming silence men like Little Saint Tom understand on Sundays,

in the procession of his saintly entourage,

a man's wrinkled face 

and creeping smile say more

than that lost teenage rage could ever do,

searing before Little Saint Tom's 

on high altar -

had crumbled to ashes of his virtue.

Only one shot left to save the day, 

Little Saint Tom - 

go plant another tree….

John Doyle is from County Kildare in Ireland. He returned to writing poetry in February 2015 after a gap of nearly 7 years. Since then he's had 7 poetry collections published. His 7th collection, "Isolated Incidents" was published by Pski's Porch in Summer 2021.