A hot August afternoon in Athens
I suddenly felt dizzy, sinful and sad,
decided to go into a church
stop drinking and pray.
The usher charged me some drachmas
but gave me a small bag of sweet cakes
which I gave to an old lady
who was just standing there
being ignored.
She hastily ate the cake
while a fat priest chanted
and holy smoke got up my nose.
Coughing I left
and in a park full of roses
came upon a grotto
where I by putting coins into a slot
could see a tableau of child Jesus and his mum,
but they weren’t there
only the devil on a golden fleece
who held aloft a bottle of ouzo and two glasses.