by Steve Kissing
First the priest-principal
and then his successor, both
arrested for sexually abusing
shy, nearly invisible classmates,
the ones who move quietly in the hallways
and score no points on the field.
So much to learn in high school, even
from the pedophiles:
Silence and camouflage, so effective
in the jungle, attract
the black panthers on the prowl
at my all-boys Catholic high school.
Steve Kissing is a Cincinnati-based writer and poet, and a very happy former member of the Catholic Church.
First the priest-principal
and then his successor, both
arrested for sexually abusing
shy, nearly invisible classmates,
the ones who move quietly in the hallways
and score no points on the field.
So much to learn in high school, even
from the pedophiles:
Silence and camouflage, so effective
in the jungle, attract
the black panthers on the prowl
at my all-boys Catholic high school.
Steve Kissing is a Cincinnati-based writer and poet, and a very happy former member of the Catholic Church.
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