He spoke the lies of religion
& I began to bake - cookies, cakes -
it became a midday crescendo
& I gave it all away to young children
and warned them not to become like me.

“Redeem yourself”, he said to me
but I was dead & suddenly everything
began to burn - the butter went beyond
caramelized - the chemistry was wrong &
no one would eat the blackened sacrifice
of failed promise & I had no choice
but to annul & regain some colour in my face.