St. Corona, pray for us

at first I thought
she was a bad joke during a pandemic,
St. Corona.
a joke like “did you hear that
they’re putting the Corona beer
next to the Lysol spray
in the stores now?”
a joke compelling me to groan
and roll my eyes at my goofy father
breaking the Fourth Commandment,
breaking a crown

but it turns out
she’s not a joke
much of her identity is a mystery
yet our tradition says
she admitted her faith in Christ
when it was illegal to do so
to console another Christian, St. Victor,
whose eyes were being gouged
St. Victor’s torture was meant to be a warning
so others would not profess love of Christ
instead St. Corona resisted and rebelled
and then was tortured too
her body stretched
between two palm trees
and Christ firm in her heart
and Christ firm on her lips

St. Corona, pray for us
you who are among all the saints
you who know the pain of suffering
you who know the cost of love
you who wear the crown of faith
you who show us how to tend to others
and be true to ourselves, and true for God
St. Corona, pray for us