APPARITION

As a child I was afraid the Blessed Mother

  Our Lady Dressed in Blue

might appear to me, her namesake,

she would come with a terrible message

  I would have to tell the world

  live in a convent with nuns

  meaner than the ones

  who were my teachers

  I’d scrub endless marble floors

  like poor Bernadette of Lourdes

No more macaroni, no more soda

just holy water to drink and one communion wafer a day

The Blessed Mother dictated letters

  to Lucia of Fatima

the first two were about world wars

the third so horrifying

the Pope fainted when he read the words

  told Lucia she had to stay locked up

  never to repeat the message to anyone

I prayed to the Madonna

begging her not to appear to me

  even though I was named for her

  I wasn’t holy enough

  I hoped she did not like me

  because I chewed gum, whistled,

  said curse words, punched my brothers

Now in mid-life

I would welcome an apparition

I pray each day to

the uncompromising Mother

the powerful and just Black Madonna of Tindari

She may appear to me anytime

I am not scared     I am ready

she can tell me disasters

  I will listen

no matter the toughness of her demands

  I’d tell the world the terrible and the true

  in admiration of her goddess strength

I have swords in my own heart now

She can come.

Maria Fama