The New Francis
Passing the St. Francis House,
a refuge for the homeless
in Gainesville, Florida, I see
near the entrance a stone
statue of the favorite of animals
and in his open hand
(the other rests on the head
of a doe) a few folded
pieces of paper as if he were
offering them to passersby.
Curious to see either
a Franciscan prayer
I must have known in my fervent
Catholic boyhood or some other
piety attributed to him,
I take one as I go by and find
it’s a wallet-sized pamphlet,
“Condom Use Instructions,”
complete with line-drawings
and detailed commentary taking
the reader through every step
from tumescence to clean-up.
Pity the birds who land
looking for seed
in the outstretched hand.
