Amabilis

That February at school,
She heard her Lover’s voice,
Dreams darkened with His call
She sold her books and
Sent her cat home
To her sister

The convent door slammed shut
As she faced the other women
The rustle of His brides
The whisper of their shoes
Like prayers, or the
Wind outside her window

The laundry room her chapel
The wetness and the heat
As she did the work to
Earn His glance
His shroud mixed in
With sheets