in mary-janes and ironed pleats
i learned about the world;
my knuckles bruised from wooden rule
i did what i was told.
"redemption comes in just one form,"
crowed sister mary-grace.
"accept your dear Lord Jesus Christ
and then you will be saved."
we learned of all the stories
and sang out all the creed.
we swallowed what they gave us
without choosing what to eat.
perhaps if we thought before we ate,
we might yet have been saved.
alas the poison has gone down
and sent us to our graves.