god She loved how she spoke to her about her god fondling the cross around her neck caressing "the virgin has grounded me" she too remembered a time when she scampered to god in fear in anticipation how she gripped the cold rails of god's existence her palms dripping with fervent prayers nails digging deep into her flesh with markings of faith until her callings were answered until her desires were drawn out into existence not anymore not that grip into a fleeting deity god exists firmly like a cold iron rod in the back spine of her soul every movement, utterance rings with a pressing presence but she does not grip does not hope does not call they stand together watching the raging sea calamity upon calamity crashing the shores of existence