God thought martyrs were tiresome,
but he didn’t feel he could say that.
As a group, they seemed like grinds,
inflexible, like students who would
do anything for an A.
Of course you had to respect
such serious people.

He felt perhaps their parents were to blame,
bearing all those children
so one could be sacrificed to the church.
The very word “sacrifice” had created
terrible misunderstandings.

“Consider the lilies,” Mrs. God said
one morning, and that very phrase
became a refrain, calming and consoling,.
It was midsummer, and lilies

were blooming everywhere in the fields,
their long buds springing open,
radiant, palms upward,, arms wide,
none more beautiful than any other,
all surrendering to common joy.