HYMN FOR HER
by Jessica Jirapinya Schultz
Sitting in an idling car, across
from our Catholic schoolyard, I see the clock stop.
Only the loud, echoing church bells scream-sing,
Forgive me father, I'm gonna sin!
So she and I stole the body of Christ,
made him dance upon the tongues sealed
with the spit of past loves.
Drunk on his blood, her lips stained
with red-hot sacrilege
and the gentle sin of an opened mouth
when she lapsed into giggling between each kiss.
Forget those plaid schoolgirl days
with fireproof linked hands in the back pew,
silently singing each other’s name
and sneaking glances as we prayed
that God won’t be watching.
I’m no longer afraid of the scripture
we found in our sex, glowing
after a little death.
Lighting cigarettes on the Sacred Heart Flames,
here is my hymnal heart, who praises
the love they won’t speak about, who begs
for comfort and promises far holier than us.
Jessica Jirapinya Schultz is a student at Virginia Commonwealth University studying acting and creative writing, while wishing she could be a full-time muse. She loves going to concerts, taking film photos, and falling in love, then writing about it all the next day. She was born in Thailand and lives in Richmond, Virginia. You can find her on Instagram @jessicajirapinya.