pope joan in poetry

pope joan
according to the story
would’ve led you all to glory
had you left her alone

pope joan
probably didn’t exist
but that isn’t a problem
when faith is in the mix

pope joan
with her secret all alone
pope joan
on the vatican throne
pope joan
mediator of souls
they say after they found her out
they installed on the throne a hole
that they might suss a pope’s gender
beyond a shadow of a holy doubt
though the whole thing might be a hoax
or parts of it, anyway
as a very subtle joke

pope joan
gave birth in the middle of the road
or maybe pope joan didn’t
the history of religion is all apocryphal
even when it isn’t