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IRISH CATHOLIC 1. Postcard A bad cold brought your Irish sojourn to a stop That winter, halfway to Mayo And the names in your address book. A cold run of rainy days. In spite of its oils, That thick wool sweater was sopping. You brought a wrapped one back for me, And a card from St. Kieran Street, Kilkenny: ROBERTS’ BOOKS. Second hand & antiquarian books, maps & prints. The name caught your eye, then mine When you unpacked. Today I search through The desk drawer for it, as if years later I might find my way by retracing your steps, As if they made such maps. 2. Rosary So what were you like back then, decked out, Making your first Communion, Those colt’s legs folded as you knelt? Or before that, in the confessional? When our sons came, you were adamant— No baptisms or confirmations, No days of fasting and abstinence— Yet all your life you kept this brooch-shaped tin, A stiletto-thin cross on its lid, And inside: the cast-metal crucifix And beaded string with which to reckon penance. 67 ...

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