Vital

his children

I was desperately howling out into empty, long corridors

Poking my head into the many doorways,

finding myself in a lonely row of church pews -

when I heard the wailing answer, the strained echo back, telling me to escape

Startled at first, just a child with a wicked imagination perhaps

One who ran on tip toes and fluttered my palms out to an estranged God

Doomed to be corrected and threatened under a forgiving but unyielding thumb

I fanned myself, already feeling the rising flames from provoking thought