Poem for the week: "The Lady in the Chapel"

The Lady in the Chapel

The lady was kneeling in the back pew

of the chapel in St. Michael’s Hospital

in the heart of Toronto “the Good” where

I had brought the love of my life for her

follow-up MRI for the surgery she had

at St. Michael’s for her ruptured brain

aneurysm that she recovered from with no

cognitive or motor impairment, a miracle

that I attributed to her surgeon’s gift and

St. Padre Pio, to whom I prayed with no

less intent that I saw on the lady’s face

in the chapel as she prayed her wooden

rosary beads while my love and I waited

for the results of her MRI from her surgeon,

and when we got up to leave for my love’s

appointment with Dr. Aditya, I walked up

to the lady in the chapel, bent over, and

with my heart in my throat, whispered into

her ear, “Pray to St. Padre Pio. He gave us

a miracle,” and she looked into my eyes,

surprised but not startled, nodded that she

would, and I left, leaving her to continue

praying her rosary for her loved one

in St. Michael’s Hospital.