"Invitation" by Mandy Gettler

Invitation

The homeless man slept
Outside the hotel where I was staying.
I wanted to invite him in,
Offer him a soft chair,
Pour him a cup of tea,
Share my leftover dinner.

I wouldn’t mind if he stole
The silverware,
My new jacket, or even
My wallet (although I would
Cancel the credit cards). 

What stopped me from inviting Jean Valjean
To warm his toes
Was that I am not Bishop Myriel,
The principle difference between us being
Gender —
Mine, specifically, of the feminine sort
And the fact that the good bishop
Does not truly know what it is
To invite a man in.

Mandy Gettler

Mandy Gettler is the mother of two young boys, a yoga practitioner, end-of-life doula, and business strategist. Her artistic work explores the intersection of grief, trauma, and the body, as well as the ways in which humans use the divine to make meaning. Her previous work has appeared in Calyx. She is a Midwest transplant living in Springfield, Oregon.

Headshot: Christopher Daradics

Photo Credit: Staff