Saint Patrice

There’s a Saint in this town,
She’s called first name Saint last name Patrice.
[Maiden name made into an Id Drone]
She wakes with the birds scraping her windows
And light shining into the stone walls.
She makes a prayer to the Lord and walks the halls.

The monastery frames the background of a picture:
| 2026 Replica Polaroid | Black and white | 79mm × 79mm |
(Horizon cut by black grassy fields over the lower third line)
(Monastery tower peaking the upper left intersection point)
(The church sign reading:)
BLESSED MONASTERY OF ENLIGHTENED CLERICALISM

Saint Patrice walks down into the nuns’ mess hall,
Blessing mornings all around her,
Making her way to her office block.
(Central wing, at the end of the corridor left of the nun’s quarters)
Sitting down on a black leather clad chair
She rings the bell.

Nun drones, covered in black,
Fueled by Id, swarm the room,
Masking her cheeks and moisturising her lips.
The Saint must look inspired and ready.
The drones shuffle out of the room
And the ritual begins.

The widescreen display flashes with fading colour -
“STREAM STARTING SOON”
The webcam’s eye flickers to life.
A white figure, blessed by a halo, appears
(Lower right corner of the frame)
“How is everynyan today? ✿◕ ‿ ◕✿”
Her anime persona, dressed exactly as the model,
Swings from side to side,
Reading a rising rain of messages
(Top right corner of the frame)
Her cat ears twitch and she boots up the game.

The Saint’s partner is online:
PipeBombTheGovernment
[Static Entity, fueled by Superego]
Co-op loading into public deathmatch
When divine text blesses the screen -
$50.00 donation reading “I LOVE YOU”
“[Chuckles] Thank you nya ;3 (✿◠‿◠)”
The match runs for 24 minutes and the pair dominate -
Saint Patrice ranked 2nd 16 K/D,
PipeBombTheGovernment ranked 1st 21 K/D
84000 concurrent viewers
Listening to the doe-eyed model read donations.
!Uptime
6 hours and 22 minutes, time to wrap up.
The internet connection goes offline.
The computer’s light fades and the drones drop dead.

Through the halls steps a beacon of light -
Saint Patrice, unburdened and blessed by the cross,
Back up the moonlit tower.
Naked, Saint Patrice kneels and offers a prayer
To the mind and body.
Baptized, Saint Patrice gets in bed.
Tomorrow, a different day
And different prayers.

----------

9/2021

[Also seen in ROADKILL AGORA]