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John Samuel Tieman

The Other Day

The other day, I heard the hymn "Holy God", which I remember from my youth. I thought of that little church in which I was raised, Christ The King. And there they all were. My grandparents, my aunt, my uncle, Monsignor Ryan. And they're all gone now. I've reached the point in life where I have memories of my childhood, and I realize that I'm the only one left. But the tears are sweet, because I'm left with this wonderful heritage, these wonderful memories of a time when I was, as a child, greatly loved.

And the words. The music. O Sanctissima. That once I could sing these notes, say these words, and know, with a perfect knowledge, that this act is holy.

sometimes I'm haunted
by old hymns from my youth like
O Sanctissima
like when I hear Ave and
the dead again sing with me