-on page 19-

on page 19 we find “The Pope’s Penis”––

Sharon Olds' testament of how it hangs;

she said: "deep in his robes".

––too quick for an interlude,

but men find themselves washing it sudsy in the morning.

you'd think we'd approach the location with care and hesitance,

but we attack the structure (which she describes as

"a delicate clapper at the center of a bell") with vigorous lathering.

––end the interlude.

 you have to be bold to appreciate Sharon's descriptions

when it comes to the Pope’s penis; (when cloaked) she said:

“it moves like a ghostly fish

in a halo of silver seaweed.."  (I love that line)

and tomorrow during the rinse cycle I’ll either

prove or reject her findings.

now we're told by Saint Sharon that when the Pope sleeps,

his penis "..stands up in praise of God".

Yikes! or as Browning would say: "Zooks"!

consider that in the early morning and God's a dead duck.

from "The Gold Cell" / Knopf