God With Us

At the baptismal Erma sings “Que grande es El,”
her voice breaking, 
and the woman she has brought to Jesus, 
clothed in white on the front row, weeps. 

We believe in remission of sin, 
in alcohol and hatred and abuse 
left forever in the grave of the water. 

Or Erma believes. 

Her only perfect English phrase: 
“You must open your heart very wide.”