communion

i am a child
not yet confirmed
sitting - well...
fidgeting in my sunday best
next to my mother
on the left side of the sanctuary
where an hour
seems longer than eternity
at communion time
she takes a few extra elements
from the plate as it passes
and presses them surreptitiously
into my small palm
and as she sips the welches
from the tiny glass cup
she makes sure to leave a few drops
the sacrifices she made for me
i'm only now beginning
to understand