St. Peter’s B-List edited by Mary Ann B. Miller is a collection of Catholic based poetry from a variety of poets. The idea is to capture the essence of the Catholic experience through poetry. The poets are not necessarily Catholic but convey the basic tenets of the faith. Some of the poems are overtly Catholic and others convey the idea much more subtily.

I was raised a Catholic and attended Catholic schools for six years, not including graduate school. Many of the poems reflected the what I learned way back when. For the most part it was a pleasant journey to a past I left behind long ago. The poems about saints brought back some memories, while others tended to be humorous like “Ode to St. Barbara of the Barbara Shoppe”. “Spokes” particularly appealed to me as someone who builds bicycle wheels for a living.. The thought that thin wires hold us up as we ride our bike is compared to the thin rays of light from Christ’s heart and the halos of saints.

… I see bicycle spokes, spokes of mercy holding us up, keeping us from falling, supporting us as we spin through these dark streets, glimmers of light above.

A very nice analogy. Not all the poms are enlightening and happy some are a bit darker. With over one hundred poems, anyone who has even been Catholic will find more than a few poems that will bring back memories. Current Catholics will find plenty of poems that support their faith. The collection is divided into three sections: Family and Friends, Faith and Worship, and Sickness and Death. A nice insight into things Catholic for poetry readers, Catholics, and those who are curious.
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