Fr. Monaghan

My heart is very sore
Bitter illness in my soul
Bears a heavy burden
Memory
Shifting as I shovel
Garden chores
Muttering to myself
At life's complexities.

Untouched by your
Evil habits
It was strange how
I undertook
To write a story
Prepare a public presentation for
Your anniversary
Trying to find good
To say of all your
Years a pastor
Unknown to us at the time your
Preying
Hiding behind a devotion
To our Lady
Oh, falseness
Oh, double scandal
Finding only reluctant
Help for my task
Your flock fading
Unavailable for comment
To my
Inquiring
I did my job and
Quickly disappeared
Back to my safe distance.

When you were finally
Caught out
So much destruction in your wake
The young girls
Just minions for
Your secrets, their innocence
Sacrificed on the altar
Of your lust
The touch of soft things
Accumulating
Delights decaying
Cutting them off from
The Light with
Pretensions to a good
Reputation which locked
The door on your victims and
The truth.

I do not know
If you in heaven
A place have
Found or do you
Lie in Hell
Whose master you
Chose so long ago
And served so faithfully.