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he was a priest
giving out pavement exorcisms
but they were too cheap,
too dirty for her lord.

he charged more and stopped
looking up the skirts of
those possessed,
that’s what her god wanted,
he thought.

his holy water came from Mexico,
shipped in a wooden coffin,
just a little box,
he explained.

on Sundays at three in the morning
he put up his shop -
tent with a battery powered fan
for those truly overwhelmed,
it was partly a joke
he said after screaming and spitting on her
“cool off the sin. get it?”

when she came in the second time
(the first time didn’t take, he said)
there was a man behind her back,
bearded,
the priest thought he’d lose
his divine favor

it was just her lover,
high enough to come along
and watch a pavement exorcism.