I bought one of his books years ago — The Never-Ending (Houghton Mifflin, 1991) — when it first came out. This book contains several of the poems that associate him with the Christian faith, however whether he believes, or whether it is merely the protagonists of his poems who believe, is unclear. He often plays mischievously on the edge of heresy to unsettle his readers, such as in “Praying Drunk” and “Piss Christ.”
His American Rendering: New and Selected Poems (Ecco) appeared in 2010.The following poem appears in The Never-Ending.
Communion in the Asylum
We kneel. Some of us kneel better than others
and do not have to clutch the rail or sway
against those next to us. We hold up hands
to take the body in, and some of our hands
— a few — are firmer than the others. They
don't tremble, don't have to be held in the priest's
encircling hands and guided to our lips.
And some of us can hold the wafer, all of it,
inside our mouths. And when the careful priest
tips wine across our lips, many of us, for reverence,
don't moan or lurch or sing songs to ourselves.
But we all await the grace that's promised us.
Entry written by D.S. Martin. He is the author of five poetry collections including Angelicus (2021, Poiema/Cascade), and three anthologies — available through Wipf & Stock. His new book The Role of the Moon, inspired by the Metaphysical Poets, is forthcoming from Paraclete Press.
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