What the Pope Said
The Pope has said
that hell doesn’t exist–
souls only disappear.
But your beautiful creases
spread on mine; invisible
except in the right conditions
of temperature and light.
At night, I glow in the dark:
indelible patterns
from your breath
inked into my flesh,
the living map
of where we’ve been.
Sarah A. Etlinger is an English professor who resides in Milwaukee, WI, with her family. In addition to writing, hobbies include cooking, traveling, and learning to play piano. Look for her work in The Penwood Review, The Magnolia Review, Cliterature, and many others. Her chapbook, Never One For Promises, is forthcoming from Kelsay Books in 2019.
