Good Catholic Girl by Kelly Caballero

The ocean is my religion

Eulogize the one true Mother

Sculptor of stones and of hearts

Giver of live, guardian of wayward souls

Born of immaculate conception

I swim in the Sanctuary of Creation

The water redeems, the salt purifies

I am anointed by ocean mist

I am devoted to the mercurial current that giveth and taketh

We must give thanks

I kneel before hallowed waves

I pray for peace on Earth and peace within

The ocean accepts

Kelly Caballero (she/ her) is a singer-songwriter, poet, and jeweler. Her body of work focuses primarily on highlighting the multifaceted and complex lives of Indigenous peoples born and raised in urban settings. She is from and currently resides in shared Tongva and Acjachemen territory, Santa Ana, California. She can be found @kelly_mija. Cover art is “Maya New Year” by Saira Coye Huhn, which can be found featured on THE VISUAL.