Читать книгу The Poet X – WINNER OF THE CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2019 - Элизабет Асеведо - Страница 22

Father Sean

Leads the confirmation class.

He’s been the head priest at La Consagrada Iglesia

as long as I been alive,

which means he’s been around forever.

Last year, during youth Bible study, he wasn’t so strict.

He talked to us in his soft West Indian accent,

coaxing us toward the light.

Or maybe I just didn’t notice his strictness

because the older kids were always telling jokes,

or asking the important questions

we really wanted to know the answers to:

“Why should we wait for marriage?”

“What if we want to smoke weed?”

“Is masturbation a sin?”

But confirmation class is different.

Father Sean tells us we’re going to deepen

our relationship with God.

“Of your own volition you will accept him into your lives.

You will be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

And this is a serious matter.”

That whole first class,

I touch my tongue to the word volition,

like it’s a fruit I’ve never tasted

that’s already gone sour in my mouth.