Motor Mouth | MinedGems

I once knew a priest
Known as a very good priest
Knowledgeable, wise and of course
Entirely discreet

I once knew a priest
Viewed as a true and devoted old priest
Cheerful, kind and of course
Entirely discreet

I once knew a priest
Trusted as a friend a guide and a priest
Sympathetic, compassionate and of course
Entirely discreet

Alas

Unpacked heavenly bags before his most human eyes
Showed him some treasures beyond what he’d seen
Told him some things beyond what he’d heard

Fascinating, confusing, mystical things
Talk of angels
Eyes blazing bright
Talk of demons
Preferring the night

What kind of layman says things like this?
He thought that he knew me
And indeed, he actually did
But things have a way of suddenly changing
Whether you’re ready or not

November 23
November 24 and before

Newness for one
Newness for four

All kinds of changes
All kinds of things
Not usual things
Not usual changes

Spiritual eyesight and
Warnings in the fashion of
St. Hildegard of Bingen:
“Father, it would be better if you didn’t . . .”

“The seal of the confessional”
Means?
“The seal of the confessional”
Means
Secrecy
Confidentially
So that all can be said
So that all can be heard

Seminary time:
Perhaps some priests missed the sessions about confession
Perhaps some priests missed the sessions about spiritual direction

Yeah man.

Perhaps it was
Entirely confusing

Did someone say “seal”?
What could that mean?

I know! I know!
The Scrabble definition!

Arf arf!
A seal.
It can bark.
Four letters.
How many points?

The Scrabble definition
Creature of the sea
Like the manitou or the ray
Stingray
Sting, Ray
Sting on

Alas

Details of a session of spiritual direction
Meant to be private
Meant to be secret

Disclosed all over the city

At a meeting
And via cell phone

To him and to him
To her and to her
(I could tell you their names;
I know at least four)

Various folks
Heard whatever
This priest
Wanted to share
About me
About what was said
December 4 and before

Alas

I once knew a priest
BACKSTABBER
I once knew a priest
BACKSTABBER
Is that a knife in my back?

Ah yes.

That’s why it hurts.

Stunned to the core
Shaken like never before
How could he disclose?
How could he say that?
“Be normal” he said
In the middle of his rant

“Normal.”

In my books,
“Normal” means
A Catholic priest
Acts like
A Catholic priest

I once knew a priest
Entirely
and
Miserably

Indiscreet

I want to scream

Betrayal!

Not once!
But over
And over
And over
And over
Again

When will you stop divulging my words?
When will you stop defaming my name?

Seminary Time:
(Let me remind)
Whom do you betray
When you blab blab and blab
All in this way?

Let me see.
Two Scrabble letters
Come to my mind:
The first is a J; the second is a C.

Repent, priest.
Go to confession.
The sooner the better.

Hopefully you’ll find
A wholly discreet
Catholic priest.