Poetry Magazine
An Auto-da-fé
I have nothing to recant, I am just
the decanter. You, the just destroyer,
have in faith become the role, recalling
for those gathered the noble fallen
with a prayer to his-grace-above-fire,
(“Turn me, I’m burnt on that side”)
St. Lawrence. Well done, I applaud.
And you: Well executed.
This is it. Not much else to await
when our fates touch: I’ve nowhere to be
but eternity, you’ve nothing to catch
but the thatch. Dry on dry,
we keep our wits about us . . .
no one to meet but our match.
Source: Poetry (July/August 2009).
Biography
Kevin McFadden is the author of Hardscrabble (University of Georgia Press), which won the 2009 George Garrett Prize for poetry.
Poem Categorization
SUBJECT Religion, Faith & Doubt, Christianity, Social Commentaries, History & Politics
Poetic Terms Free Verse
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