Christine Kanownik
“we need supernatural bread”
...and the eating of the God is ancient knowledge.
-Leonora Carrington
I only eat the Flesh of GOD
or sometimes
I eat only what GOD will put directly
into my mouth
I open my mouth wide
to the abundance of GOD
if GOD really wants
me to eat
GOD will have to manually
masticate GOD’s own flesh using
my sinful teeth and jaw
otherwise— no deal!
I have been told often
that GOD gave
GOD’s Own Flesh so that I may
eat eternally so I may live
eternally and be
eternally fed
I’ve been told too many times to
count that GOD’s meat and GOD’s
Wine are mine to be consumed
as long as I’m under Proper
Supervision
once…
millions of years ago
GOD ate and drank wine just
like you and me but I
imagine GOD was better at it and had
more Self-
control and ate with the seriousness and Passion
that the food of GOD demands
and THAT MEAT is now forever
part of the Bread which
we eat which is GOD’s Own Flesh
making those
Goat and Sheep who GOD ate
More Holy than any Saint
or Apostle
or Pope
though not as Holy as
Any extant Mary
There was a Last Supper
which existed as a final meal but also
an Eternal Meal and still
exists presently especially
when a small Deer is
led out onto the parquet floors
and GOD says YES!
This is what I will eat tonight
again
Christine Kanownik is the author of HEAD (Trembling Pillow Press, 2019) and KING OF PAIN (Monk Books 2016). Her poetry can be found at FENCE, Diagram, Cosmonaut Avenue, jubilat, among others. Her chapbook We Are Now Beginning to Act Wildly was published in 2012 by Diez Press. She lives in Chicago.