Deliver Us from Evil-
ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ
My mother sits across from me
Facing East
Banishing the evil eye
She does the sign of the cross
Right to left
As her father taught her
And recites words that
Can only be passed
From blood relative to
Blood relative
Male to female
Female to male
It surprises me
How quickly
The prayers return
“Our father
Who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name”
My seven-year-old son
Is enthralled
The prayers
Pure poetry
The prayers
Pure magic
She teaches him
My seven-year-old son
Sits across from me
Facing east
Banishing the evil eye
He does the sign of the cross
Right to left
As my mother taught him
And whispers words that
Can only be passed
From blood relative to
Blood relative
Female to male
Male to female
“On earth as it is in heaven”
First Publication rights to Lothlorien Poetry Journal
Find more poetry by Jodie Baeyens at My Life in Coffee Spoons
