The Baptism

Sister sings contrition, ripe to believe
in prophet palms, fey fingers. Submission
to a Patriarch plunge— yield and receive.

White out winter, naked lips and eyes. Leave
past sorrows traded for superstition.
Sister sings contrition, ripe to believe.

Hidden font, flooded false ordinance. We’ve
found a man. Heavy handed commissioned
to a Patriarch plunge— yield and receive.

Prayer plea from an Adam once deceived,
chromosome privileged exhibition.
Sister sings contrition, ripe to believe.

Breath denied, breast brushed— no longer naive.
Sail billowed, drowned deep. Lost erudition
to a Patriarch plunge— yield and receive.

Gasped deep, vision blurred— newborn life conceived,
virgin love riddled with dark conditions,
sister sings contrition, ripe to believe,
to a Patriarch plunge— yield and receive.

 

 

jvdmauthorphotomcJuliette van der Molen is a writer and poet living in the Greater NYC area. She is an intersectional feminist and a member of the LGBTQIA community. She is a contributing editor for Mookychick Magazine and author of Death Library: The Exquisite Corpse Collection (Moonchild Magazine, August 2018). Her work has also appeared in Anti-Heroin Chic, Burning House Press, Memoir Mixtapes, Collective Unrest and several other publications. Forthcoming books include: Mother, May I? (Animal Heart Press, May 2019) and Anatomy of A Dress (The Hedgehog Poetry Press, 2019). You can connect with her on Twitter via @j_vandermolen. Website: www.JulietteWrites.com

Featured photo credit: Amanda Ollinik @Allunderonemoon