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Image for Catechism in Denver circa 1960

Catechism in Denver Circa 1960

A poem by Lori Romero

Mass in the Basilica
of the Immaculate Conception
altar boys swing incense holders
over the congregation
like bee smokers--
small puffs signal
their entrance into the hive.

Dazed and docile, we doxologize
in a hushed buzz.

Buffalo Bill Cody, with golden,
fringed hair, was baptized here.
The Unsinkable Molly Brown,
secreting queen substance,
genuflected with the best of them.

In the basement, a statue--
a dying Jesus
slumps in his mother's arms.
Old women in black babushkas
caress his wounds
with such ardor
priests continually repaint
blood drops with brushes
soft as a drone's tongue.

Copyright Lori Romero

photo of Lori Romero

Lori writes:
As a child, I spent many Sundays in this cathedral (it was actually elevated to a Basilica in 1979, years after my father had been elevated to deacon status).

Lori Romero is an editor and co-founder of Cezanne's Carrot. Her first chapbook, Wall to Wall, was published by Finishing Line Press. Her short story, "Strange Saints," was a semifinalist in the Sherwood Anderson Fiction Award, and her short screenplay won the Manhattan Short Film Festival's Scripts and Screenplay Competition. Her poetry and fiction have been published in numerous journals and anthologies. She was just nominated for a Pushcart Prize. For more information, visit Lori's website: www.tarecords.com/loriromero.html or email her at lori@tarecords.com.

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