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Absolution
Cathy Porter

I haven’t gone in years
Unless someone gets hitched or worse
But if you’re a regular
I’m not here to change that

Rituals breed comfort
And community is important
Some say I’ve punched my ticket
For south of heaven

Sundays drag most of the town
To the building with the cool architecture
I drag myself to the building
With the frosty mugs

Preacher man seems a nice guy
No scandals or rumors
I see him around town, shaking hands
I try to avoid him

Except the night I bought him a drink
In the building with the frosty mugs
He drained that beer —

Father than absolution

—
Cathy Porter’s poetry has appeared in Plainsongs, Homestead Review, California Quarterly, Hubbub, Cottonwood, Comstock Review, and various other journals. She has several chapbooks available from Finishing Line Press, Dancing Girl Press, and Maverick Duck Press. Bodies of One Breath is forthcoming in 2024 from Dancing Girl Press. Cathy has been nominated for several Pushcart Prizes. She lives in Omaha, NE.

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