Paul’s granite expression
spoke volumes of crows
to the pentecostal lines
queued for their dunking.
Interrupted by a plume
of cigarette smoke
his cough coincided
with an earthly tremor.
The faithful thus shaken
took a step back from the plunge
to see if the crows smoldered
then burst into flame.
A few questioned
their stone tablet impressions
and the weight those slabs placed
upon their shoulders.
A gargoyle channeled the river to mud
and ended hope for many
unaware that a few of them
would not have resurfaced if submerged.
copyright © 2021 Kenneth P. Gurney
Umflop 