Bertha Mae & Leontyne (a sestina)
by John Vick

As you age, you'll hear it confided
fondly that Bertha Mae was spiritual
to soothe, to teach you patience
as she held you on her hefty shoulder
and rocked the cries and whimpers
away. To know which were her fine stitches

on your quilt will have put you in stitches
since night-sewing was when she confided
her wit, her humor to us all. To whimper
now, at four years, counters the spiritual
nature of your confirmation. His shoulder
is there for you. You must have patience

when we get there, as He showed patience
to those who pilloried him. Your stitches
won't come out under that suit. Shoulders
back, head up. Remember, they confided
his location, like in Bertha Mae's spiritual,
and He went out without even a whimper.

Can you sing it? Not a word, not a whimper.
While Daddy ill-dresses, you play Patience
in the den. Bertha Mae might sing a spiritual
while she works on her handy cross-stitches.
To Jesus in secret I'll go for relief, confided
ideals in song for a young man to shoulder

while confirmed. We'll pull to the shoulder
if you get sick on the way. Don't you whimper
this Easter; your basket's secret place not confided,
you have to show a grown man's patience
and when you get home, I'll take out your stitches
while you tell Bertha Mae about the spirituals

you heard Miss Leontyne sing. Spirituals
that will bring us all to Christ's shoulder
and make you forget all about your stitches
and little boy troubles and sissy whimpers.
Come now, that's enough of playing Patience,
let's go get Daddy, see what suit he's confided

in for our amusement. Confided in the spiritual
life, my patience will bear his gravid tie, shoulder
without whimper, his dirty shoes, stay in stitches.

Biography

John Vick writes from Minneapolis having lived all over most of North America. He has been published at Poems Neiderngasse, as well as the 2006 Texas Poetry Calendar. Vick is currently working with a mentor through the Split Rock Writing Mentorship Program at the University of Minnesota where he studies writing.

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