Church
Greetings to the god of breezy mornings,
to the god of green parakeets conversant in the trees,
the god of colored light through windows
that stirs what lives in human bodies.
Homage to the god of storms in the afternoon,
the eye-chastising lightning
and thunder too large for ears,
the god of streams rampant down hills
and heavy fabric of the air.
Blessings to the god of cracked and patterned tiles,
of old doors carved in low relief
and narrow streets
with traffic that isn’t ruled by electric grids
but blood as it coils and lashes.
Praise to the god of outdoor markets,
of sharp-eyed discernment and counting change,
of palping avocados to probe their character
and excitement of mangoes next to chilis next to uchuvas.
Admiration to the god of small animals,
of butterflies with scenes of mystery on their wings,
of large spiders in airy houses of lace,
the gleaming slinky great-tailed grackle
and kiskadees plumed in sunlight,
the god of ant caravans down sidewalks transporting leaf pieces
and spoon-fingered geckos crossing ceilings.
Thanks to the god of busy street corners,
of being lost to yourself and found to yourself in crowds,
of people hurrying to stop and gossip,
the god of here and there among the throng
someone known years ago to have died
and glimpsed now in another life,
the god of lottery tickets to do things differently,
not of new beginnings but the original one still going on.
Peter Cashorali is a neurodiverse queer psychotherapist, formerly working in HIV/AIDS and community mental health, currently in private practice in Portland and Los Angeles.
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