by Jen Hinton
They called it a confirmation,
like the ceremony held to appoint children
to the church.
The children go through a process too,
but no child will ever be rejected -
especially the worst ones,
because the worst ones, the most naughty,
the most heinous, are the most deserving
of grace;
and they're the ones you'll see confirmed
from now on.
The ones who've pulled wings off
butterflies, stolen from their mothers'
purses, cheated on math tests, pushed
crippled kids from their crutches;
they won't even bother to recite
their prayers properly or even reply,
because they know they don't have to,
they're predestined.
And once they've been confirmed,
attested to their purity,
after the grand pageantry and spectacle;
it's back to sinning as usual,
cussing under their breath, hating, jealousy,
greed, kicking puppies, stealing from the
collection plate, bullying the smart kids,
laughing at funerals and throwing rocks
from rooftops.
And speaking of laughing at funerals.
New Orleans.
Ha, ha, ha, ha.
And speaking of throwing things from rooftops.
I feeling like throwing
myself off one right about now.
Jen Hinton lives in Schaumburg, Illinois. Her work has appeared previously in The New Verse News, as well as other publications such as Skin Deep and Prairie Hearts.