“Grace”
If a meal begins without a prayer
but no one is around
to condemn the silence
can I repent and chew my way
to a cleaner conscience?
Father, with his mouthful of faith
said that saints never dined alone
that’s why I always wait for company
for the bluegill and the birds
for the vulpine prowlers
as they navigate the woods
for the echoes of prayers
returned to sender
for the subtle twitch
of another lover
and only once
the stillness breaks
do I press my lips
to anything.
A. Michael Schultz is a writer and educator living in Northern Appalachia. He is Assistant Professor of English at Belmont College.
