A Congregation of Poets
for Dougie Padilla
On the way to your poetry reading
I saw a “congregation” of turkeys
They were praising Jesus
by the side of the road
God only knows their denomination
In the Badlands I’ve seen prairie dogs
in their towns
praying on holy ground
facing east
with their tiny hands folded. Shalom!
and the marmots meditating
up on Beartooth Pass
all seemed like devout Buddhists
and every fish I ever caught
was a Baptist
Sometimes I wonder…
What is the doctrine of trees,
and are rocks really orthodox?
Where can I find
a blessed congress of monkeys
or a herd of sacred cattle
that aren’t branded?
Last October
I saw 30 deer at Vespers
in a hayfield —
their humble heads bowed
in silence
a choir of birds was singing
aloft.
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The Beatnik Cowboy 
What a beautiful poem!! Love the spiritual elements throughout. Seriously, I could read poetry like this all day long. Such a gorgeously crafted poem. Absolutely stunning. Truly!!
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Your comical personification of the creatures makes their natural reverence that much more apparent. Enjoyed your way of using questions to tease it out.
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