Ceremonial

The injection is given to nearly all of them, no matter
Sad, psychotic, addicted, manic, hopeless, traumatized, poor -
Trapped
And they accept it

I see a blackened glass jar inverted
Let's call it the world
For now

The story of the baby Jesus is told to the children at the altar of an affluent Episcopalian parish
Jesus and Mary were chosen by God, she tells them, and they were people without a lot of money
They were poor people, and God chose them to bring Jesus into the world to save us
And they accept it

It's dark in the jar, hard to breathe
I'm ashamed and
Trying hard not to scream

The last Jedi is up there on the screen now, she's fighting the darkness - both
Inside and out, the odds are impossible of course, while we chew our popcorn
Ultimately she triumphs, after enduring heavy sacrifices, but we win in the end
And they accept it

I fall asleep while she's climbing around inside the hulk of the Death Star
Sickly in need of a new story
These no longer heal or nourish