Olivia O'Rourke
Volume 4
Alberto packed the film-reel case,
And slipped the wafers in,
He rolled the pray’rs and candles up
Within the screen pressed thin.
Projector case (a flask of wine)
He placed up in the cart,
He heaved the boy up to the seat,
And promptly did depart.
Across the rocky desert path,
Rancheras now in sight;
All gently step through casa door,
And slowly, shut it tight.
A peasant-man turned holy priest,
El padre is transformed.
The table’s cleared by grateful hands,
New altars now adorned.
The Victim is in silence brought,
Bells sing a smothered song.
The hands of altar boys fold hard,
That war would not last long.
Alberto prays for family -
The strength to pull them through.
The girls and mama needed him.
Señor, he needed You.
Now all approach, consume the King,
Now worship is at end.
And bless’d before they take their leave,
His flock does Padre send.
Alberto clears the altar off;
The vessels seals back in.
Ranchera back to household state.
No trace of what had been.
Through casa door, ‘cross desert path,
The sun beat down and glared.
Police in sight! (“Betray no fright!”)
Alberto reined in the mare.
The hands of State probed round the cart
Looting the sacred hoard.
Alberto faced a bloody end
Like first had claimed his Lord.
The boy alone was sent back home
With woeful news to bear
The mother, listening for her son’s
Glad greeting from the stair.
They dragged him to a nearby wall.
Panting. Blindfolded. Bound.
Alberto begged, “Come heaven’s strength!”
To fear he gave no ground;
Two choices was he left with now:
His mother, or his Lord?
How weigh the duty? Weigh the love?
He faced the wall: Death moored.
The choice was made. The guns all aimed -
Peace stood, by heaven’s grace.
“Ready! Aim! Fire!” Unleash -
Nought of Death’s embrace.
Alberto waited for the pain,
Had Death come to evade?
He writhed himself out of the bonds,
And saw how Death was stayed:
When State had taken final aim,
Cristeros saw the whole.
They would not let their brother fall!
The State’s last “Fire!” they stole.
Free now, Alberto drove back home,
And raised his thanks, full awed.
Then held his sobbing mother close,
And, closer still, his God.