St Malachy’s

I take from the Collection —
silver and copper
palmed off the platter

I grow to be King
of the game ‘Lookalikes’
picking out the faces of the famous

I keep a straight face
kneeling at Holy Communion
acting transformed and saved

I lip-sync hymns
in my Sunday best and dream
of the bowling alley afterwards

I play with panache
the child part of Saturday
Confession

the expert manner
I deal with made-up Sin
and Penance

Me,
Myself,
I


Anthony Costello (UK)

This poem was first published in Orbis and is included in Anthony’s second collection Dreaming Tigers.