the charade

she would pray over every meal.

bowing her head over

the avocado 

sliced in two.

there were rosary

beads hanging from the mirror.

an altar in the house with

candles and statues.

a cross in every room.

she played the catholic

channel on the radio 

and sang the hymns 

in church.

she put a can of beans into

the charity box each sunday.

cash for each

passing of the basket.

she knew all the priests by name.

there were wednesday 

ashes on her forehead.

her knees were calloused from

publicly kneeling.

i'm going to church again,

she'd say. don't wait up.

amazing.

if you only knew then what

you know now, her adultery.