In the inexcusable distance between
myself & God I built a house, I fenced
my taxes, I filed & folded, I mowed
my forgiveness into a fine fringe …

                                    from “Plenary Absolution”

I’m thrilled, honored, and humbled to say that I’ve got a new poem called “Plenary Absolution” in the latest issue of The Adroit Journal. You can see it — and hear me read it! — here. I hope you’ll take a look at the whole issue, which features tremendously powerful work by Emilia Phillips, Dana Levin, Jane Wong — actually, just read the whole issue. It’s an absolute beauty and I’m so proud to be a part of it.

PS: The title of this poem comes straight from my catechism classes at Catholic school (see, I did pay attention, Father Mullen!). Plenary absolution is an indulgence, which is a way to reduce punishment for one’s sins. A plenary indulgence removes all punishment necessary for the sin. I have a lot of thoughts about all of those ideas, and a lot of them are in this poem. Others are in poems soon to come — stay tuned.