Holy

Caitlin Thomson

If the title threw you off, I understand. I too have hid
from words that might be bait in a trap.

There are no bible verses here, no poster signs,
no branding of any kind.

Holy is a word that should be more than
a sound, but it can be one too, a duck call
in the night, also goosebumps, the scent
of my daughter’s young skin — floral and bread.

Holy is not just something experienced on one’s
knees or with palms pressed together. But it can have
some predictability, for me personally,

every candle I snuff out gives me a second’s pause of holy,
a prayer in the belly of my body, a catch in the throat.

Caitlin Thomson is the co-founder of The Poetry Marathon, an international writing event. Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies and literary journals, including The Adroit Journal, Rust + Moth, Barrow Street Journal, and Killer Verse. You can learn more about her writing at www.caitlinthomson.com.