room with a view…

never
having been
in
the pulpit
sister jones’
first
venture
into
the male
dominated realm
for
a scripture reading
was
somewhat
eye
opening
staring down
at
all those
finely
dressed ladies
in 
the front row
was
quite revealing
why
some deacons
stuttered
when
reading

 

 

an invitation…

come on down
to the front
of the church
leave
that back pew
and join
the few
in the front
don’t mine
sister jones’
grunts
she says
it’s the spirit
i suspect
it’s the chitterlings
she had
for yesterday’s lunch
you’ll have
an unobstructed view
of deacon smith’s
flirting
with samantha smith
no relation
other than
that
which occurs
as they say
round midnight
but don’t let
that ruin
your day
cuz’
after church
we’re having
a community meal
more food
than most folks
have seen all week
which is
why
there’s
so many
amens
trying to put
an end
to all this
fire and brimstone talk
looks like
deacon walker
awake now
must be
time
for some
heavenly chow

 

ain’t no way out…

copyright cwmartin 2011

sitting
quite
sanctimoniously
on the deacon’s bench
brother jones
was the model of calm
and cool
until
miss maybel
wearing her trademark
red dress
and high heels
sporting a walk
even pastor brown
followed
with each step
to the front of the church
to confess
her sins
and
with
whom

that’s a wrap…

a holy
central
deacon
considered all the possible
new intervention strategies
none
were
major
fresh
ideas
from
what’d
been
tried
before
so god
saying
an amen
chose
to weep

come monday…

oh my lord what a sermon
oh…my lord
          what a sermon
oh my lord
           what…
                 a sermon
rev jones moaned and groaned
           and moaned and groaned
                                  so loud
that even deacon smith
shouted like he believed in god
            and child let me tell you this
sister bates started waving her hands
like she thought she was separating the red sea itself
then she took to talking in tongues
           her voice just seemed to fill the church
honey we couldn’t even hear aunt liz’s solo
which may be why she got so loud
           lord knows you can’t have pastor notice no
           one but her
then of course there was us…
            sitting in the back of the church
            we were busy counting the lights in the ceiling
and wondering why
the holy ghost didn’t just come and stop all this
            cause we all knew come monday…
            no one would remember a thing…