The Blessing of the Old Woman, The Tulip, and the Dog

To be blessed

said the old woman

is to live and work

so hard

God's love

washes right through you

like milk through a cow

***

To be blessed

said the dark red tulip

is to knock their eyes out

with the slug of lust

implied by

your up-ended

skirt

***

To be blessed

said the dog

is to have a pinch

of God

inside you

and all the other

dogs can smell it

By Alicia Suskin Ostriker

Photo by Ronin on Unsplash