{if it's Saturday, it must be a saint}

St. Kevin of Glendalough’s dead admirer to George W. Bush

His biographers tell the story of an amorous woman who pursued him here, and St. Kevin knocked her away to her death twenty feet below. This story is disturbing, and clearly has misogynist elements. Yet, on an allegorical level, it is the story of a man who has finally learned to shun all those things which are tempting but only superficially beautiful, and finally come under his own control.
-- from “Glendalough: A Brief History and Virtual Tour” by Dr. Deborah Vess

A story is told that once a bird laid an egg in the palm of his hand. Saint Kevin, not wanting to harm the egg, remained motionless until the egg was hatched.
-- Catholic Forum Patron Saints Index

did you see the saltshaker move? have you felt
cold breath stroke your neck walking the West Wing?
this is just the beginning. after the fall, after
that monk decided the penalty for my touch
was death, I didn’t leave his side. all those nights
he perched in the lake, arms outstretched
in prayer, what do you think his penance
was for? who dragged him there in sleep
thick with nightmares, who conjured
a chill breeze to kiss his puckering skin?
they beatified him, but I get you. from here
on out, we’re in this together. you cradle embryos
the way he cupped that fucking egg, its miracle
so much greater than mine, when the 2,000th
soldier showed up with your name carved
on his palms, I knew you were mine. God’s
got my back on this one. Matthew chapter 5,
verse 9, all the secret service in the world
can’t keep my fingers off your spine,
George. though the mythmakers never
bothered with my name, call me Eibhilín
when the computer screen clicks
to iraqbodycount iraqbodycount.com again
and again call me Boann when the water
in the ExxonMobil bedroom bathroom
runs rust and then blood clot red call me
Siomha when the bed turns to stone
the second you lay down on it call me Lasair
when all the eggs in all the White House kitchens
simultaneously break, call me Deirde sorrow Nemain
panic Uathach specter I am Gobnait unleashing her bees
the Morrigan with her unbearable scream you’ve no idea
what a righteous vengeance means, George, Genesis
chapter 4, verse 10, And he said, What hast thou done?
the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me
from the ground you’ve sent me an army
of dear betrayed souls who meet me nightly
in your sleep. good night, George. sweet dreams.

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Boann - (BOO-an) goddess connected with healing and water.
Deirdre - (DYEER-dre) usual meaning is "sorrow."
Eibhilín - (eh-y-LEEN) "light"
Gobnait - (GOHB-nit) Name of early saint and abbess of Munster. One of her miracles was to overcome an army by unleashing her bees on them
Morrigan - (MOHR-ee-gan) called the Great Queen, Irish goddess of war, but never took part in a battle.
Siomha - (SHEE-va) Old Irish=name Sithmaith: sith "peace" + maith "good."
Lasair - (LOH-seer) Old Irish=lassa "flame
Uathach - "specter"
Nemain - “panic”

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Matthew 5:9

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