© 2012 Mark D. Dunn

Mark D. Dunn lives and writes in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. His poems, reviews and essays have been published in The Globe and Mail, Quill and Quire, The Dalhousie Review, Queen's Quarterly, Education Today, Pets Magazine, Pottersfield Portfolio, Books in Canada, Literary Review of Canada, Rampike and many other publications. His first book of poems, Ghost Music (BuschekBooks, 2010), was long-listed for the ReLit Award. A second book of poems, Fancy Clapping (Scrivener Press, 2012), was recently published. Dunn received the Ted Plantos Memorial Award for poetry in 2010. He is currently at work on a new collection and a novel.

"Modern Religion in New York City" was originally published in Fancy Clapping (Scrivener Press, 2012).

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Modern Religion in New York City

i.

The statue of Atlas
across the street from a cathedral
gathers tourists at his feet,
their cameras flashing. He is
holding the world after all,
while the brick church does nothing
but keep rain off its pews;
its doors locked to the homeless.

ii.

She is from Kansas or California,
France maybe, wears a t-shirt with John Lennon
in a t-shirt, a silver peace medallion,
a crow's foot, on a chain from her neck,
and takes a photo of her husband
where Lennon stood and fell.

iii.

Through the walls, a voice,
"God. Oh, God. Yes. God. Yes."
As the ice in the bucket on the rattling fridge
settles with the sound of a crystal wine glass
rolling on the deck of a listing ship.
Tomorrow is Sunday. I have no plans.