Aloysius Vicious
Sister Aloysius rings the bell
iron-railing straight she stands
habit flapping blackly
her triple-bolted thin-lipped smile
pursed against assault, or love,
while children shuffle past
their tulip heads averted
from her scything gaze
Jimmy from the Chinese
chip shop, smiling, filing past
What is so amusing?
children freeze, ice-blooded
in breath-held silence.
"Lovely morning."
Sister Aloysius
unlocks her bolted lips
hisses a crack-small stream of air
allows a Yes to escape.
the children
march, backs braced
into the shadow
of school
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