No Herrings

By Ilse Kramer

The angel who lives in
The stained-glass window
Depicting the Heavenly City
Winks at the sexton
Who is cleaning
The baptismal font

He takes a walk to India Point
I mean the sexton and not the angel
Don’t you know angels don’t walk they fly
He fishes yesterday’s donuts
Out of his pocket
And feeds the sea gulls

The sexton sits on the bench
At India Point
The angel has followed
But declines the donut
Angels carry rations
Of manna

The angel says to the whitest gull
Come see me at home
The gull says perhaps
Are there herrings
In the Heavenly City
No herrings? That is so sad

Ilse Kramer

Ilse Kramer is the Poet Laureate of Central Congregational Church.