So, I never got to see the pope’s funeral after all, only filtered through the filter of the television screen. No substitute for Rome though, The pope’s death brought back a lot of memories. Of my childhood in my primary school which was nothing short of idyllic. Getting a 150 RQ when I was ten.

‘They say she was something

In those formative years….’

Tori Amos

A nun driving us to France in a bright red mini-bus, walking upthe hill from the school tothe church, And then that secondary school which was nothing short of hell. And the first person I confided in about my eating issues – a priest, who was, believe it or not helpful.

And then there was the sexual abuse. Not from anyone to do with the church but from a young man on my street. I remember reading an account of the cananonisation of a young seven year old girl who fought off her attacker so valiantly he killed her. I didn’t do that. I did the usual. I co-operated. This made me sob uncontollably at my GP’s desk. Why didn’t I fight hader?

And the pope is STILL dead.

And I wonder if he noticed my absense in the crowd

On The Road to Hell

I tried to pay my respects to the Pontiff, I really did. I even tried to book a flight out there, but, no,....NO FLIGHTS. I suppose It's all worked out in the end. GOD decided that I was never going to Rome. So when do I get payback for that time when my parents took me as a very small child to 'see the pope'. Now a child often interprets that term as 'see the pope, talk to him, be the envy of my friends'. But,no,for me, as a seven year old, I took these statements literally. And I was very disappointed that all I got to see was a white speck in the distance. (Another intervention from the deity. Oh, Well, Thanks a Bloody Lot Oh Deity!)

Going...to...Hell...

The pope...a sign of permanence...has gone.

Spiritual Purity

Every cell,
Every part of me
Strains toward a kind
Of spiritual purity
Particles packed together
Protected by a membrane
A microscope descends
Light passes through me
And all my secrets are revealed

You magnify me
Saying that my structure
Embodies fragility
But that you are the architect
Of this situation
There is no escape
I am thinly diced
And distributed
To the party guests

The Pope's Passing

In case you've been residing on another planet the pope has passed on. I regret his passing. (Mourn is the wrong word - how can you mourn someone you don't personally know). I am a lapsed Catholic. I was so devout at one point that I seriously contemplated becoming a nun. Many people on a certain forum I frequent are wondering why the news is being given such extensive coverage when millions of people on the planet are suffering as a result of various catastrophic events. Well, guess what, guys, I feel the same when a politician dies or a member of the Royal Family. And I certainly felt that way when 'Saint' Diana died.

I have read extensively about Karol Wojtyla's life and his remarkable activities in WWII made him an 'asset to the human race' in themselves.