by Linda McCullough Moore

Mary Magdalene 
comes to the tomb 
on that first Easter morning.

Please sir, she says
—all polite now, dressed nice, 
hair combed, demons exorcized—
Please sir, They have taken my Lord, 
and I don’t know where to find him.

Mary, Jesus says.
Just that. Her name.

But this comes later, 
elsewhere in the story,
after sorrow, after fright, 
after the angel who’s been waiting
since the morning Lucifer reared up 
and flash descended from the sky, 
since before that even.
Jesus is not here.
The angel speaks.
He feels the words 
as he eternity-forever
thought they would be 
on his lips. 
Jesus is not here.

The angel clears 
his throat and says,
You might want to check
the morning skies.

Off script.
Again.

God shakes His head.
The angel giggles.

Linda McCullough Moore is the author of two story collections, a novel, an essay collection and more than 350 shorter published works. She is the winner of the Pushcart Prize, as well as winner and finalist for numerous national awards. Her first story collection was endorsed by Alice Munro, and equally as joyous, she frequently hears from readers who write to say her work makes a difference in their lives. For many years she has mentored award-winning writers of fiction, poetry, and memoir. She is currently completing a novel, Time Out of Mind, and a collection of her poetry.