The Perfect Pen

the guys in my regular 

Catholic men’s group 

agree that its OK 

to have nice things,

things of high quality, 

things that last. it’s true, you 

don’t need dozens of the 

same thing: a good writing 

pen for instance, I have 

just one, and I’ve had it 

for years; a costly pen,

a pen that was given to me

by a woman who took

off her clothes for a living.

I tried to make that last

but only the pen survived.

Gary Edward Geraci

“Who is the man who will reflect on his weakness, and yet dare to credit his chastity and innocence to his own powers, so that he loves Thee the less, as if he had little need for that mercy by which Thou forgivest sins to those who turn to Thee.” St. Augustine, Confessions, 2, 7