The After-Mass Men
I was short-listed for the Sunday Tribune Hennessy Poetry Award for this poem.
The matter of attending Sunday mass each week was serious: not life or death, but an eternity of bliss or torture. Whether being outside the church door counted or not was highly debateable but I wasn't gambling.
After mass these men were engaged in lively conversations and appeared oblivious to their recklessness. This company had a peculiar appeal for most of us at one time or another.