Doxology

I.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow
the excretory system from which all wastes flow
the lacrimal glands from which all tears flow
the ventricles through which spinal fluid flows
the uterus from which monthly blood flows
the blessings of  muscle and mitochondria
of fascia and fallopian tubes
of epidermis and epiglottis
of cornea and cranium
the blood
the flow 
the blessings
the blood 

II.

Praise Him, all creatures here below
the kestrel and the katydid
the lion and the lemming
wisped undercoat and voluminous fleece
iridescent feather and armored carapace
the muzzle unhungered
the predator unpreyed
and I too am creature
toothed and clawed 
soft-flocked with lanugo
prowling in the dirt
and howling praise
we creatures 
the mouths 
the howling 
the praise 

III.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host
ye messengers of the divine
ye winged and haloed
with tremolo and trembling
with kyrie and chorus
with hallelujah and horns
and ye down here at war with the body
in hospice and in hospital
with cancer and in cardiac arrest
with bone spurs and slipped discs
with depression and diabetes 
ye who host the hell 
and the heavenly 
in their
bodies

IV.

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
the fathers and mothers
the partners and lovers
the doctors and teachers
the sons and daughters
the helpless and holy
the aching and holy
the dying and holy
the grieving and holy
the ghosts of those before us
the ghosts who live inside us
our bodies that will all become 
ghosts
holy
holy
holy
amen