Muzzles gone white on old dogs church,
quadriceps screaming uphill
on gravel bike church, garbanzos dancing
in their dry rattles church, his finger finally
finding your clitoris church, alone
on the toilet birthing
a dead baby church, church of the first time
you kissed a girl, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
fiddled poorly in a park at
night church, tomatoes
ripe in a garden you planted
with your mother church, jukebox
that still takes quarters church,
your father might be dying
church, sleeping with your children in
your blood stained sheets church,
church of slow dancing
with your son, lying to siblings
church, not knowing it is the last
time you will nurse
a child church, church of finding
an arrowhead and losing it,
being ripped open
by a baby church, church of the lump
in your breast, church of finally loving
your legs, becoming the mother
of another woman’s child church, where
two or more are gathered in
the best dive bar in Idaho church, there
I will be also timing your in-breath
with his out-breath, filling your lungs
with his air on this rock I will build
my church.