| Sound Art
A tiny digital device under his shirt
Microphones tucked inside the cuffs,
He secretly records the Mass.
i
He sat next to an old woman
Who knelt, whispering prayers.
To make the final piece, he played this backwards
Layered over the sound of children
In the neighborhood playground.
ii
He recorded an entire daily Mass at St. Vincent's.
He returned the next day
And played back the previous day's
Mass while the present day's Mass went on.
Disoriented ushers tracked the sound to his pew
And, cursing, threw him out.
iii
He found a computer program into which he could type text
And hear it converted into electronic voices.
His favorite part was when the robot priest said
Protect us from all anxiety and
This is my body, which was given up for you.
© Dale Wisely
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