Alter Boy's awakening

Leaving the sacristy I again took the biscuit tin,

I checked my gown for the morning mass and

Saw the clean cruets ready for 7 o clock,

As an alter boy the doorman let me in with a resentful tedious wave

And why he always looked so resentful I never knew

Tapping once on the hallowed door of the enclosed convent

I glanced disrespectfully at the wire  wed scaled last night to catch the evening rise of trout

Pledged to silence as they were the only nun I knew to speak was an oldish one

She was always bent in some pain or other and always said

 whose this strange boy she said breaking ger oath of silence I thought.

They usually just siglanled or clapped their hands as if they were calling chickens,

But this one was much younger than the rest ;

She put her waspish finger to her mouth and signalled me to follow and this confusd me .

I was usually sent round the back where they baked the hosts,  but she

Now led me throught the inner hall which amazed me in its size .

-          dont be afraid .. we dont bite you know

She was actually speaking this woman of silence , which also surprisd me

It must have been around the angelus time , but their bell had such a flimsy sound that you arely heard it .

But I could hear the other nuns singing through the walls that majestic musuc that made thenm holy

-          you dont talk much little man she said

-          were noy always silent you know,

As we passed along the dim corridors I was thinking of what they said had said that each nun only a room the size of herself and her own coffin in that cell .

-          youre a thinking boy arent you she said

-          dont you ever speak ?

I trembled at the thought but now I asked her if it was true about the cels and the coffins

-          ahh she said

-          - do you want to see my cell .

She took rom her habit a chain of keys and opened the cell , opened the door and said

-          look