the child's heretical
insignia cast into the
sterling ring married her
finger to adept alumni of
the spading fork, four tines
digging for the stone dresser,

the shaper of stone
pays the child her due,
a magic rune, take time by
the forelock, not procrastinate,

tourmaline wisdom bestowed
penitential psalms hers to dispense
to those, she doles out the punished to
repent, the rune's intuition guide the child,

she heals lumbago
and banishes rheumatic
pain, she abruptly halts the
knock out auction, the sale where
the buyers are in league with one another
to obtain things by unfair competition, the child's
heretical insignia cast.

Copyright Ms. Sage Sweetwater, firebrand lesbian novelist