Faith

I

"We named her Faith," they explained, pointing
to the slash of orange fur, a cross
laid across her piercing eyes. She used
to walk me to the bus stop, until
we found her purring in a pool of
blood. "The bullet was fatal," she sighs.

II

"We have faith in you," they
prayed, heads bowed and eyes closed,
throwing their prayers high.
I thought of the classmate,
sleeping somewhere in a
hospital bed, alone.
Then I closed my eyes, and
prayed, "I have faith as well."